Israel Matzav

Spanish blogger charged with crime for supporting Israel

A Spanish blogger from the Galicia region has been charged with a crime for supporting Israel, and being against the 'Palestinian people,' according to a report in Toasted Bread, an English-language blog published in Spain.

Hat Tip: Little Green Footballs

Galician blogger Alejandro de Llano has told in his blog that he has been charged with the great crime of supporting Israel and being against the Palestinian people.

Two years ago, the Galician nationalist Major [Mayor CiJ] of Oleiros ... began a campaign whose slogan was “Stop the beast. Sharon murderer” and “Stop to new Nazis”. The Major is known for his love for Castro (was watched over by CIA because of his friendship with Castro) and Palestinians. The campaign also included T-shirts with Anti-US and anti-Sharon for 6 € and it also pictured US flag in a higyenic paper [on toilet paper. CiJ] with the legend “USAme”, which in Spanish is “USE me”. Very respectable.

When questioned about the campaign, the Major said that if the Spanish Government would ask him, he would remove the campaign because he did not want to “disturb the relationships between Governments“. He also said to EFE that he “will detain [suspend CiJ] the campaign if the Government ask him that because of his personal respect to the Government and Moratinos, who has had “a very clean path in these issues“.

But he underlined that the initiative “would continue if nothing is said against it“, because “I am thinking the same“, and added that “what Sharon is doing can only be considered as terrorism“, because “how on earth there is a war in which some people throw stones and other shoot from tanks“.

Also, Seoane was not worried for a possibel measure against the campaign “because it is sufficiently proved that Sharon is a terrorist because he applies terror” against the Palestinian people and considered “that there will be none” because “Spain is democratic country“.

Moratinos, Spanish FM, rejected the attacks against Sharon but did not mention the anti-US campaign.

Spanish blogger Alejandro de Llano wrote the Major to critizise his campaign and to tell him that this could be even a crime of deriving public money to support international terrorism.

That was two years ago.

On October 13th, 2006, he has received a summons from a Criminal Judge announcing him that he is held responsible of the crime of supporting Israel and also of acting against Palestinian people. They did not give him a copy of the summons and they did not let him make any copies.

It is unbelievable that someone is charged with this kind of crime in modern and democratic Spain. But, wait, it is perfect to bash Israel here… and US. So will I be summoned also because I write supporting Israel? ;)

I fixed up the English where indicated, but the original post also has some pictures that I recommend you view.

For those who speak Spanish (I do not. In fact, in law school, I once caused the class to burst out in laughter by referring to New York's Spanish language daily as "El Diablo" (The Devil) instead of "El Diario" (The Day)), this story has been picked up by several Spanish language blogs here, here, here and here. If you feel like translating, feel free.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:31 AM