Pablo Hasel's nine-month sentence has caused an uproar across Spain and led the government to announce it would ease restrictions on free speech. Photo: ReutersA Spanish rapper sentenced to jail on charges including insulting the monarchy and praising terrorist groups barricaded himself inside a university in northeastern Spain on Monday with a group of supporters. This is a very serious attack on our freedoms, not just on me," Hasel, who is known for his radical leftist views, told Reuters. In a sign of support, local artist Cinta Vidal has painted graffiti in a town near Barcelona depicting a singing Hasel being painted over by former king Juan Carlos with a roll brush. "It is not acceptable that an artist should go to prison for expressing his ideas," Vidal said.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 15, 2021 15:45 UTC