Belgian Court Rules Out Extradition For Spanish Rapper

GHENT, Belgium (AP) — A Belgian courtroom on Tuesday dominated once more that Spanish rapper Valtonyc shouldn't be extradited to Spain, the place he has been sentenced to jail accused of writing lyrics that reward terror teams and insult the royal household.

The 28-year-old rapper, whose actual title is Jose Miguel Arenas Beltran and who has been residing in exile in Belgium since 2018, faces jail sentences in Spain totaling three-and-a-half years.

Francis Clarysse, a Ghent prosecutor, advised The Related Press that the prosecution now has 24 hours to resolve whether or not to attraction the choice to Belgium’s highest courtroom, the courtroom of cassation. Tuesday’s ruling marked the fourth time the Spanish judicial authorities’ requests for extradition had been denied.

Clarysse stated the newest attraction was declared “unfounded, which means no extradition is feasible.”

Spanish rapper Jose Miguel Arenas Beltran, also known as Valtonyc, waits for his court appointment at the courthouse in Ghent, Belgium, on Sept. 15, 2020.
Spanish rapper Jose Miguel Arenas Beltran, often known as Valtonyc, waits for his courtroom appointment on the courthouse in Ghent, Belgium, on Sept. 15, 2020.
AP Picture/Virginia Mayo

Valtonyc’s case has change into common in Spain amongst organizations who declare Spanish authorities are cracking down on free speech.

The singer and composer from Palma de Mallorca was sentenced to jail over songs he wrote when he was 18 that had been deemed to have praised terror teams, threatened a Spanish politician with violence and insulted the royal household.

Throughout his trials in Spain, courts rejected Arenas’ argument that the purpose of rap lyrics is to be provocative and they need to be protected by free speech legal guidelines.

Rights organizations and activists regarded Valtonyc’s case for instance in a wider authorized and political dispute over freedom of expression, rebuking the way in which prosecutors have overreached in utilizing the prison code to punish anybody who “glorifies terrorism” or insults the Crown.

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