British newspaper The Guardian has expressed surprise over the erosion of freedom of opinion in Spain, following the censorship at the Arco art fair in Madrid. The newspaper describes "growing concerns over freedom of expression and artistic liberty in Spain".
The Guardian was reporting on the controversy caused by the fair's decision to remove a piece entitled Political prisoners in contemporary Spain, comprising pixelated images of inmates, including Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart. They highlight the decision by Madrid's mayor, Manuela Carmena, to boycott its opening night.
The newspaper summarises democratic setbacks Spain has suffered recently, including quoting today's report by Amnesty International which criticises the "use of legislation to stifle freedom of expression in Spain over the past 12 months". Among the examples they quote from Amnesty are the persecution of a Twitter user for a joke, of two puppeteers and the "excessive force" Spanish police used to try to prevent the 1st October referendum in Catalonia.
