Rapper Sentenced To Prison for Insulting the Spanish Crown

Police arrested Catalan rapper Pablo Hasel who was sentenced to prison for a song and tweets that Spanish authorities believe promote violent actions, insult the Crown, and glorify "terrorism."

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On Tuesday, dozens of security agents entered the Lleida University’s rectorate, where Hasel had been holed up since Friday when the deadline for him to turn himself in voluntarily ended.

The singer locked himself in there "to make it as difficult as possible for the police" and to denounce the attack against freedoms.

"They will never break us even with all the repression!" he said when he was arrested.

Between 2014 and 2016, Hasel wrote a song and posted messages on social networks in which he said that the Spanish institutions, police, and monarchy were fascist, aggressive, and torturing.

"The Nazi-onal Police tortures even in front of the cameras," "They pretend to hide that many people have come out today to demand the end of the fascist monarchy. They even beat journalists," and "Neighborhoods must organize to respond to state terrorism," are some of the phrases Hasel posted.

Because of his opinions, Hasel received nine months in prison, six years disqualification from holding public office, and a fine of at least US$30,000.

His case has generated a wide debate on the limits to freedom of expression. The left-wing party "United We  Can" (Unidas Podemos) called for a pardon for the rapper, who also received the support of personalities such as filmmaker Pedro Almodovar and singer Joan Manuel Serrat.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is studying a legal reform to prevent verbal excesses from being considered a crime in the context of artistic, cultural, or intellectual events.