16/02/2021 (Agence Europe) – Catalan MEPs Antoni Comín i Oliveres, Clara Ponsatí Obiols and Carles Puigdemont (Spain, non-attached) sent a question for written answer to the European Commission on Tuesday 16 February, reacting to the arrest of the Catalan rapper Pablo Hásel, sentenced to prison for tweets attacking the monarchy and the police. “His case is just one of the many that followed the repression of the Spanish judiciary and government against pro-Catalan independence”, the three MEPs said. Recalling that the NGO Freemuse “has confirmed that it is in Spain, with 14 cases, followed by Iran, with 13 cases, that artists are most often sentenced to prison”, the three MEPs ask the Commission if measures have been taken to “reverse the situation” and call on it to protect freedom of expression in Spain. (AC)