Alex Trelinski
THE Policia Nacional have arrested a man for posting death threats on social media against Valencian president Carlos Mazon.
The 30-year-old was detained in Valencia last Wednesday.
The unnamed man, who is accused of hate crimes and threats, used Instagram under a veil of anonymity to threaten Mazon during the last three months.
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He was bailed after appearing before a judge in Catarroja on Friday and must report to court every 15 days.
His postings started after the October 29 floods which has seen the president widely criticised for his slow response.
Hostile messages included: “We are going to take his life.”
Another threat suggested that Mazon should be shot between his eyebrows and that anybody standing by him would ‘pay as well’.
Mazon complained to the police after receiving the messages on his official presidential Instagram account.
The Policia Nacional is not ruling out further arrests over other malicious social media postings.
The region’s Minister of Agriculture, Miguel Barrachina, said: “Those who take advantage of tragedies like ours to intoxicate them with hatred and threats deserve all our condemnation.”
Last Thursday, Mazon had to cut short his visit to the Magdalena fiestas in Castellon due to security concerns after several protests were made against him.
The Valencian Partido Popular accused opposition parties of ‘crossing the line’ with their campaign against the regional leader.
It also demanded that the Government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabe, ‘comply, stop these attacks and guarantee the safety’ of the president.
Bernabe last week in turn promised: “Without a doubt, I will work as a government delegate to maintain security in all the environments where President Mazon is.”
