Belgium refuses to extradite rapper Valtonyc to Spain

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Sentenced as rapper Valtonyc in Spain: José Miguel Arenas Beltrán

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FRANCOIS WALSCHAERTS / AFP

Belgium has refused to extradite the rapper Valtonyc to Spain.

As reported by the AFP news agency, an appeals court in Ghent ruled on Tuesday that the application for the extradition of the Spanish musician for "glorifying terrorism" was inadmissible.

Valtonyc's lawyers spoke of a victory for freedom of expression.

Valtonyc, whose real name is José Miguel Arenas Beltrán, was sentenced in Spain to three and a half years in prison for "glorifying terrorism" by the Basque underground organization Eta, "insulting the crown" and "threats" in his songs.

He then fled to Belgium in 2018.

In a song by Valtonyc, who sings in Catalan, it says: "Let them get as scared as a policeman in the Basque Country." fought for the independence of the Basque Country and killed more than 800 people.

Another song by Valtonyc says that the king comes to a meeting in the village square "with a rope around his neck."

Valtonyc relieved

Since May 2018, Valtonyc has been wanted with a European arrest warrant issued by the Spanish judiciary.

But the court in Ghent rejected this in a first instance decision, stating that the allegations made are not considered criminal offenses in Belgium.

The public prosecutor appealed against this first instance decision of the court.

The case was then referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which ruled in March 2020 that the procedure chosen by the Spanish judiciary was ineffective.

After the decision of the court in Ghent, Valtonyc was relieved.

There are "European standards" for human rights.

Spain is not only a land of festivals and beaches, but it is also important to think of the "artists in prison" there.

sak / AFP