Rob Horgan
HUMAN Rights Watch have called for the Spanish parliament to scrap a draft law on public security.
The Bill, nicknamed ‘the gag law’, will place restrictions on protests and freedom of speech as well as coming down on the homeless, sex workers and drug users.
The human rights group claim the Bill infringes on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as well as ‘unjustifiably punishing vulnerable groups’.
“Although it’s better than the government’s original draft, the legislation still undermines fundamental rights in myriad ways,” said Judith Sunderland, senior Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“The Senate should take this last chance to ensure that the Spanish government doesn’t erode basic rights and freedoms in Spain.”
The proposed Bill would limit when and where protests may take place, and impose steep fines on those who hold spontaneous protests.
Similarly high fines of up to €600 will also be placed on anyone showing a ‘lack of respect’ to police officers, which Human Rights Watch argue would ‘stifle freedom of speech’.
In addition the Bill takes a punitive approach to the homeless, sex workers, and people who use drugs, allowing fines of up €30,000 for anyone deemed to be a ‘degrading’ public property.
Hard to believe this is Spain in the 21st century. These descendants of Franco need to be given their marching orders come the elections, or Spain will only be home to Neo-Nazis, Bible-bashers and the hanging and flogging brigade. All others will sensibly flee the coming concentration camps.
And where is the EU in all this – ah forgot enjoying their tax payer funded extravagant lunches and tax free perks – a European Community which looks after the majority of it’s citizens – excuse me while I throw up.
This is a tricky one and it is very difficult to get the balance right. In no way do I agree with many of the draconian measures taken in Spain but I don’t agree with much of the stuff that goes on in the UK either. It is a fine line you tread and as everyone knows, the UK has taken things way too far with criminals’ human rights often being placed above those of their victims and hate preachers who want to do us harm “having a right to a family life” meaning they cannot be deported and no, you cannot rely on the EU to come up with a sensible solution. Be very careful what you wish for.
There is nothing tricky about this Jane, it’s all heavily laden in favour of protecting the government from criticism by the people, the fines are punitive even for looking the wrong way at a Guardia Civil officer. This same PP government have removed journalists from the state run TV stations because they have been critical of the PP. Not the sort of thing that should be going on in a so called western democracy which is part of the European Union.