Fascist Spain Governs Extrajudicially

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

All tyrannical regime operate the same way, doing whatever they please, ignoring international law, violating it flagrantly, ill-treating their own people and others.

America is Exhibit A. Israel egregiously persecutes Palestinians. NATO is a US-controlled killing machine, committing mass murder with impunity.

Spain is part of its rampaging, committing war crimes abroad, domestic ones against its own people. 

Catalonia is in the eye of the storm, its ministers and vice president lawlessly deposed, arrested and imprisoned, falsely charged with sedition, rebellion and misuse of state funds.

Four other deposed ministers and president Puigdemont are in Brussels, a Belgian court to rule on a Madrid extradition order. More on this below.

Catalan teachers from the town of La Seu d'Orgell are being investigated on phony allegations of hate speech - for discussing state-sponsored referendum day violence with students, accused of using a "pro-Catalan tone against Spaniards."

Scores of parents signed a manifesto supporting them. Charges reflect Madrid's crackdown on free expression, how all despotic regimes operate, tolerating no dissent.

Catalan schools were accused of "indoctrinating" children with "hatred against Spain." Catalonia's board of school headmasters debunked the charge, saying:

"We cannot tolerate accusations that bring into question the work of tens of thousands of great professionals and which are aimed at framing a political discourse that justifies the takeover of Catalonia."

"The aggression against schools is the worst message that either students or society can receive."

Young children never before saw police beating ordinary Spaniards indiscriminately, injuring hundreds. 

They asked questions. They wanted answers. Madrid considered explanations teachers gave unacceptable - truth-telling about what happened on October 1. 

After turning themselves in to Belgian authorities Sunday morning, Puigdemont and four Catalan officials were released without bail that evening - not allowed to leave Belgium without judicial approval.

They're free pending disposition of Madrid's extradition warrant. Puigdemont tweeted: "Released and without bail. Our thoughts are with our colleagues unjustly imprisoned by a state whose behavior is far from democratic."

Released agriculture minister tweeted: "In Belgium they release us without bail, while in Spain we would be in prison."

In response to charges against Catalan teachers, deposed education minister Clara Ponsanti tweeted: "Freedom of expression is also education. We do not tolerate the judicial harassment of teachers. We are not afraid."

Released Catalan health minister in Brussels tweeted: "Released without bail. We demand that our unjustly imprisoned colleagues in Spain receive the same guarantees as us. Our thoughts are with them."

Rajoy-ordered referendum day violence, deposing and arresting Catalan officials, along with demanding extradition of others in Brussels, opened a hornet's nest of anti-regime sentiment in Barcelona, elsewhere in the new republic, and in other parts of the country.

It remains to be seen how things play out. This saga is far from over.

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