Spanish Rapper Pablo Hasél Faces Prison for Insulting the King

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Spain’s National Court announced that Spanish rapper Pablo Rivadulla DurĂł, known by the artist name Pablo HasĂ©l, will be imprisoned for insulting the crown and allegedly glorifying terrorism.
The news was reported by the artist himself through his social media networks: “They’ve given me ten days to enter prison,” he wrote. “In the end there hasn’t been enough solidarity to stop this, something that affects the majority of people as we do not have our freedom of expression guaranteed. They are going to imprison me for telling objective facts, but they will never break me.”
https://twitter.com/PabloHasel/status/1354740096487055363
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Two different court cases carry three years in jail. To the two years of one of the sentences, and nine months of another, will be added three more months because the artist refuses to pay a fine decreed by the sentence, thus increasing his days in jail.
The problem: the rebellious lyrics of his songs and social media posts. Through them, he denounced the monarchy for “plundering and squandering” the money of the Spanish people. HasĂ©l called for an uprising against the fascist state, and referred to the royal family as parasites. He also characterized former King of Spain Juan Carlos I—currently under investigation for improper business dealings with Saudi Arabia—as a Bourbon mafioso.
https://twitter.com/ChalecosAmarill/status/1354785541095620618
Hasél: I am not going to prison
Hasél assured that the sentence, by means of which he is asked to voluntarily enter prison, will not make him renounce his ideas and revolutionary actions. He demonstrated no regret for anything he expressed in his lyrics, in which he strongly criticized the Spanish crown for its parasitic life.
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“This constant harassment that I have suffered for many years, and that goes beyond the prison sentence, is not only because of my revolutionary songs,” wrote the artist in a statement. “It is also because of my militancy beyond music and writing. Putting into practice the struggle I talk about in my songs is what has put me in the spotlight, in addition to supporting organizations that have fought the State; being in solidarity with their political prisoners and raising awareness by denouncing injustices, and pointing loud and clear to their culprits.”
Meanwhile, several deputies of the Unidas Podemos party described the Audienca Nacional’s decision as a “shameful” violation of the right to freedom of expression.
Jaume Asens, president of the parliamentary group of Podemos, said that it was a “shame that while justice guarantees the impunity of Franco’s torturers, someone is persecuted for singing,” and expressed solidarity with HasĂ©l.
https://twitter.com/PabloHasel/status/1354912643404980234
Featured image: Pablo HasĂ©l burns a miniature Spanish flag at a concert – Photo: Laura Becerra/Ăšltima Hora.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune, with Orinoco Tribune editorial content
OT/SL/JRE
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