The Ghent Court of Appeal, with a new composition, is of the opinion that insulting the Crown in Belgium is not a crime and is part of the freedom of expression and therefore extradition is not appropriate.
Euskaraz irakurri: Valtonyc Espainiaratzea baztertu du hirugarrenez Belgikako justiziak
The Court of Appeal of Ghent (Belgium) decided this Tuesday Rapper Josep Miquel Arenas, aka Valtònyc, will not extradite to Spainas announced by his attorney, Gonzalo Boye.
The same court rejected the delivery on December 28, as the lyrics of the songs are part of the freedom of expression, but the Belgian public prosecutor – representing Spain’s interests – appealed against that ruling and the Court of Cassation ordered a return to the study the case, substituting the crime of insulting the Crown for that of common insults. But this time, too, Spain’s claims have been rejected.
The sentence is not final, and can appeal to the Court of Cassation from this country. The prosecutor’s office has 24 hours to decide whether to appeal or close the case.
Attorney Simon Bekaert, of Boye’s office, has celebrated the “victory” in the case.
win. Court of appeal judgment in Ghent. No extradition even after cassation @valtonyc
— Simon Bekaert (@Simonbekaert) May 17, 2022
“I have always defended freedom of speech,” the rapper claims
“Today was a tough day because we didn’t know what could happen. I decided to come here for a fundamental rights issue and in the end it was. I think I’ve defended freedom of expression as much as I could since I was 18 years old when this all started and I want to start living,” said Valtònyc, moved to tears.
“Now is the time to claim that all the people who have suffered this in the Spanish state stop (…) and carry on do political struggle to start living too,” the musician underlined.
The National Court sentenced the musician to three and a half years in prison on charges of making threats, praising terrorism and insulting the Crown in the lyrics of his songs. Valtònyc then decided to flee to Belgium and claimed his freedom of expression.
It is The third time that the Belgian judiciary rejects the extradition.
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Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
