Rapper case shows justice only found 'outside of Spain', says Torra
Pro-independence and left-wing politicians celebrate Belgian decision not to extradite Valtònyc while PP MEP defines Belgium as "sanctuary for Spanish fugitives"
President Quim Torra celebrated on Monday the decision by a Belgian court to refuse the extradition of rapper Valtònyc to Spain.
"Once again, those that go outside of Spain to find justice, found it," said Torra on Twitter.
Valtònyc moved to Belgium in May in order to avoid a three and a half year prison sentence in Spain. The Spanish National Court found him guilty of glorification of terrorism, slander against the crown and threats.
However, a court in Ghent, Belgium, argued that Valtònyc's songs could not be considered a crime, and therefore rejected an extradition requested by Spain. The court in Ghent argued that the musician case is a freedom of speech one.
Europe's justice has "rectified the Spanish justice again," said vice president Pere Aragonès. "Freedom of expression is protected in Europe," he added.
Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, on exile himself, congratulated Valtònyc on the decision and said it was also good news for "democracy."
"Europe is a space of freedom where abuses by member states become unacceptable," he tweeted.
Mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau also celebrated the Belgian decision. "The Spanish judiciary should assess what is happening before their discredit becomes irreparable," she said.
Roger Torrent, speaker of the Catalan Parliament, stated that the Belgian decision shows that "the repression by the Spanish state is incompatible with democratic rights and freedoms." "At the end, even from abroad, democracy always prevails," he tweeted.
The Catalan government delegate in Brussels, Meritxell Serret, also lives in Belgium as an exile. "It's sad that we have to find justice far from home. We will prevail," she said. According to Serret, "freedom of expression is recognized and protected" in Europe, unlike in Spain.
PP MEP criticizes Belgium
Meanwhile, the Spanish People's Party harshly criticized the Belgian decision. "Belgium cannot become a sanctuary for fugitives of the Spanish justice," said the leader of the PP in the European Parliament, Esteban González Pons.
According to him, the Ghent court decision "puts into question" the Spanish "national sovereignty" and the "Spanish justice." González Pons urged Spanish president Pedro Sánchez to "react immediately" and insisted that the European Arrest Warrant system should be reassessed so that "criminals sought for serious crimes" cannot flee.