The Madrid Prosecutor’s Office has archived the open investigation into the Islamophobic video that Vox broadcast in the campaign for the elections to the Catalan Parliament on February 14, considering that, although the link it makes between irregular immigration and common crime or even jihadist terrorism “could be described at least as unfortunate or unfortunate, since it can stigmatize an entire group for actions attributable to a few people from the same”, does not constitute, in his opinion, a hate crime, as several associations had denounced; among others, Muslims against Islamophobia.
The video, which was part of the campaign #StopIslamization and lasted 1 minute and 17 seconds, overlaid images and news from the Muslim community (imams leading the prayer in the mosque or the launch of a pilot plan to teach the Islamic religion as an optional subject in schools), with other attacks terrorists from Las Ramblas in Barcelona, in August 2017. “Separatism leads us to the Islamic Republic of Catalonia”, read at the end of the video, with the image of the Palafrugell mosque (Girona) in the background.
The prosecutor considers that it is the expression of the opinion of a political party, “in the free exercise of ideological freedom”, which cannot be criminally prosecuted. “The legislator,” he argues, “has not been able to claim a criminal sanction for any expression of what, ultimately, is a human feeling such as hatred.” It so happens that the social network Twitter suspended the Vox account for eight days for “inciting hatred” against Muslims with this campaign. The party appealed to the Central Electoral Board (JEC), which considered the decision of the technology company “reasonable”, as Vox had violated its ethical code.
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