Minimum sentences for the ex-leader of Democracia Nacional and thirteen other neo-Nazis for the harassment of a mosque in Barcelona

2023-11-02 16:13:27

BarcelonaThe campaign of harassment and threats, and the repeated attacks to which fifteen neo-Nazis and militants from various far-right formations subjected a mosque on Jápó street in Barcelona for months in 2017 caused the center of worship to have to ‘to delay the opening, even though it had all the permits, and that it initially operated with difficulties. Every week protests were called in front of the premises, which on several days presented stickers with the inscription “Christian Spain, not Muslim”, painted with the symbol of the SS (the paramilitary squad of Nazi Germany), locked padlocks and even pork sausages hanging on the doors. In addition, they spread hateful messages against the Muslim community on social media. Six and a half years later, however, the case has been closed in court with minimal sentences.

Although the Prosecutor’s Office initially requested up to 10 years in prison for most of the defendants for coercion, threats, minor injuries and a crime against fundamental rights, the defense and prosecution have finally reached a compliance agreement that allows the 14 prosecuted (a fortnight is on the run) avoid going to prison. Thus, the former leader of Democracia Nacional Alberto Bruguera – also convicted of assaulting three pro-independence activists in Balsareny in 2018 – has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison, and Juan de Haro – responsible for the youth of the ultra formation – to one year and a half Neither of them, like the rest of the convicts, will have to serve their sentence behind bars. The compliance agreement includes the suspension of the sentence for up to three years, as long as they do not commit crimes, pay the relevant fines and compensations and take a course to accept equal treatment and non-discrimination.

All the defendants (some of whom did not hide their tattoos with the swastika and other neo-Nazi symbols in court) have acknowledged the facts before the court, although one of them has specified that he did so “reluctantly”. In addition to the confession, the reduction of the penalties included in the compliance agreement is based on two more arguments: on the one hand, the defendants have deposited in court all or a large part of the compensation they were asking for of the affected Muslim community. On the other hand, the time that the case has taken to be judged has been taken into account, since the harassment occurred in 2017 and was sent to trial two years ago.

Compensation and restraining order

The convicts will have to jointly compensate (each contributes between 500 and 1,500 euros depending on the acts of harassment in which they participated) the Muslim community of the mosque on Carrer del Japón, in the Nou Barris district, and they will not be able to approach this enclosure less than 1,000 meters for five years. In fact, Bruguera and six other defendants had already been banned from approaching the premises since 2018, as a preventive measure while the case was being investigated. The court has also imposed several fines of 90 euros and, in the case of those convicted of a crime against fundamental rights, closed their Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) account and disqualified them from working in professions for four years that have to do with education.