EVEN THE KING HAS RIGHTS

There are two cases of politicians and the Spanish monarch Juan Carlos I that have been taken up by the nation’s prosecutors.

Already involved in the trial process is the Izquierda Unida mayor of Puerto Real, José Antonio Barroso. Now the prosecutor of the Cataluña high court (TSJC) is investigating alleged remarks by the ERC MP Joan Tardá.

At an event in Los Barrios on April 14 to commemorate the proclamation of the II Republic the outspoken Barroso cast aspersions on the King and his father. He accused the monarch of being “corrupt” because of some of his business associations and said he was the “hijo de crápula”, accusing his father of being a libertine.

Last Saturday it is said that Tardá, whilst addressing the youth section of his party in Barcelona, called for “muerte al Borbón”.

Both remarks caused outrage but I believe they are markedly different.

Barroso insists that he spoke “under the umbrella of the constitutional right to free expression which all Spanish nationals are supposed to have” and that he was expressing his political convictions.

Quite so.

In contrast Tardá seemingly called for the death of the King.

Now he tries to explain that away by saying that “muerte al Borbón” was a phrase used in 1714 and is a Republican proclamation with a long tradition.

Sorry Joan that cuts no ice. They are weasel words spoken by a political rat!

To voice an opinion about the monarch or his family is one thing. I do not believe that the State should be involved in prosecuting Barroso for his genuinely held views. The King should either turn the other cheek or take legal action on his own account.

However to call for “death to the Borbón” at a time when our streets already run with too much blood is simply outrageous.

It would be legitimate to call for the King to go, for a Republic to be established – but death?

Today marks the 60 th anniversary of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It should be remembered that monarchs have human rights too – exactly the same ones as you and I enjoy. A monarch should be as open to criticism as any other national leader – kings and queens are not a protected species. However in a democracy to call for their death is beyond the pail.

THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH

As I write this the Izquierda Unida mayor of Puerto Real, José Antonio Barroso, is preparing to face a court charged with criticising the Spanish monarchy. The far-left firebrand says he has no regrets about the opinions he expressed about the Spanish monarch, Juan Carlos, and his father despite the possibility of being sentenced to jail.

The prosecutor has decided to take the matter to court because of what the mayor said in Los Barrios on April 14 at an event to commemorate the proclamation of the II Republic. During his speech the outspoken Barroso cast aspersions on the King and his father. He accused the monarch of being “corrupt” because of some of his business associations and said he was the “hijo de crápula”, accusing his father of being a libertine.

José Antonio Barroso insists that he spoke “under the umbrella of the constitutional right to free expression which all Spanish nationals are supposed to have” and that he was expressing his political convictions. However the judge in the Spanish High Court, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, on Monday refused to file the case saying that he considered the verbal attack on the King was “disproportionate” and beyond the bounds of free speech.

As a Briton I am free to criticise our Royal Family and I find it alarming that in a country where free speech is enshrined in the constitution the Spanish monarchy is placed outside of the law. I also believe that only a Spaniard is qualified to say whether King Juan Carlos and his family are a force for good or bad. As a foreign resident I would say “good” but as Barroso rightly argues, it should be the right of all Spanish nationals to voice their genuinely held views, be they political or otherwise, without fear of prosecution.

I wonder what King Juan Carlos makes of all this. At various conferences for journalists he has defended strongly the freedom of the press and the right to free speech. Surely the Spanish monarch does not believe that applies to all except him?

Whether what Barroso says about the King and his father is true or not – it is his personally held view and therefore in my book he has the perfect right to express it. Freedom of speech is after all a basic human right recognised and defended by the United Nations.

I think it was Voltaire who said – “I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.” Let’s hope the prosecutor and the judge take note.