Jailed Catalan rapper Pablo Hasél is lodging a judicial complaint against the Catalan interior minister Joan Ignasi Elena for alleged violations of his rights while serving a prison sentence for lyrics and statements that glorify terrorism and insult the monarchy. The imprisoned artist, whose arrest in 2021 led to ten days of violent protests on the streets of Barcelona, says that members of the Mossos d'Esquadra police have violated his privacy when he has received medical attention. For several months the rapper has had stomach problems and has repeatedly denounced the violation of his privacy in medical check-ups. This Friday, in a protest outside Barcelona's Palau de la Generalitat, different associations demanded that the Catalan interior and justice departments "stop passing the buck" and "comply with the penitentiary regulations and health legislation".
Different representatives of the political and cultural world, such as MEP Clara Ponsatí, prominent actor Joel Joan, well-known Catalan singer Gerard Quintana and the president of the Catalan National Assembly, Dolors Feliu, were present at the rally, displaying posters with the slogan "ERC, jailers!", in reference to the pro-independence party which forms the Catalan government. The slogan was explained by Hasél's lawyer, Alejandra Matamoros, who was highly critical of the ERC politicians and regretted that the government is acting in this way, since "it is a party that is supposedly sensitive to the conditions of prisoners". "ERC are the worst jailers and there is a deliberate renunciation of functions", complained the lawyer.
Poor prison conditions for Pablo Hasél
In the same line, the spokesperson of rights group Plataforma Antirepressiva de Ponent, Josep Bustos, held the Catalan executive responsible for the rapper's "worsening health" - as he has not yet undergone the necessary medical tests to treat his stomach problems. Hasél reported that during the first colonoscopy the police "handcuffed" him and did not allow him to be alone with medical staff. Bustos explained that ERC had made the commitment to the rapper having a second test "in proper conditions", but the police insisted that "they would not leave him alone for a minute". For this reason, Hasél once again refused to take the test. Now, Matamoros has reiterated that the rapper will not appear at the next check-up at the Terrassa Hospital either because his right to privacy is not guaranteed.
The musician, from the Catalan city of Lleida, was convicted in 2018 for offences of glorifying terrorism and insulting the monarchy in song lyrics and statements, a second conviction, and after the dismissal of appeals, he was ordered to serve two years and nine months in jail. His arrest by the Mossos d'Esquadra in 2021 prompted protests in many Catalan cities, and in Barcelona there were incidents of serious violence as protests continued almost nightly over a two week period. One protester lost an eye to a police projectile and the deployment policies of the Catalan police were called into question.
Main image: Pablo Hasél's lawyer, Alejandra Matamoros, at the concentration in front of the Palau de la Generalitat / ACN