‘Glorification of terrorism’ is alleged by the Spanish government against an online magazine.
The Editorial Collective of La Haine, a website news magazine that publishes anti-imperialist, anti-fascist, and anti-capitalist articles, released the following statement on May 20 in an effort to rally support against a new attempt by the Spanish government to target the collective for publishing news and opinion. Look at Lahaine.org. John Catalinotto was a translator. A member of our media has been summoned to testify before Judge Ismael Moreno of the Audiencia Nacional [National Court] on May 23, 2023, as they are being investigated for “glorification of terrorism.” The issue centers on a video that our media broadcast on the social network Twitter about the welcome that hundreds of neighbors offered to the former political prisoner from the Basque country, Iaki Etxeberria, in the Casco Viejo (old town) of Iruea (also known as Pamplona) in December 2021.
The tweet in question is a video, in which you can observe the ex-prisoner’s entrance in Casco Viejo and the cheers of the many locals present at the scene. The tweet’s accompanying text reads, “Dozens of people give Ongi etorri [a welcome] in Alde Zaharra of Iruea to Basque political prisoner Iaki Etxeberria ‘Mortadelo,’ who was released after 25 years in custody. [Amnesty for all who are political prisoners of the Spanish state.]”
The tweet is clearly devoted to documenting what occurred that evening in Alde Zaharra, Iruea, in an impartial manner rather than extolling anything.
The state has started up its apparatus once again to stifle the voices that give it pause. These are the same voices that oppose the discourse the capitalist state is attempting to impose and are considerably less receptive to its oppressive methods.
It is not surprising that the counterinformation media is focusing on us [at La Haine] given the role we play in exposing the truth that they want to keep from us and our reluctance to consistently prosecute those forces who refuse to obey the rules of the state.
The Audiencia Nacional’s message is thus very clear: If it serves its own interests and is still published by La Haine, it will be seen as information; alternatively, if it does not and is, it will be seen as a promotion of terrorism.
a violation of one’s right to expression
We are aware that this latest legal action taken against our media is a blatant assault on the right to knowledge and free speech. We also oppose the prosecution of an anti-fascist media like ours by the Guardia Civil and the court.
In particular, sections 578 and 579 of the Penal Code, which govern the alleged crimes of “glorification of terrorism,” must be repealed since they are used by the government to repress political dissent and crimes of opinion. Of course, the assault on La Haine and the right to knowledge is only one more element in the larger campaign against the support movements for political prisoners and any demonstrations of solidarity with them.
The Audiencia Nacional’s actions are simply intended to punish political ideologies that are opposed to the dictatorship and anti-fascist ideologies, or, to put it another way, to start a trial that serves as an example and a reminder to everyone to keep our heads down and keep our ears down.
The Audiencia Nacional, which replaced the Court of Public Order (which sentenced political opponents in fascist Spain) decades ago, stays committed to the heritage of the Franco dictatorship by upholding the mandate given to it by the latter. Because of this, it is hard to ignore the political nature and intent of this new procedure.
We reiterate this for our work in the streets, alongside social movements, and through educating the public from an anti-fascist viewpoint. From La Haine, we call for openly criticizing this fresh assault on freedom of speech and information.
