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The Lleida Audience has acquitted the rapper Pablo Hasél, for whom Spanish public prosecutors were seeking a 5-year 9-month jail term and 5,400 euro fine for alleged crimes of public disorder, assault a police officer, three charges of causing injury to Mossos police officers and damage to property, during a riot that occurred after an independence movement demonstration in front of the Spanish government's office in the Catalan city of Lleida, on March 25th, 2018 - the day that Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was arrested in Germany. In the verdict, made public this Friday, the Lleida court also acquitted the other 10 defendants, some of whom were facing penalties as high as Hasél's. The verdict is not final, and an appeal could be submitted to the High Court of Catalonia (TSJC). Hasél is currently in Ponent prison, where he has been since February 16th, for two convictions.

In today's verdict, the judge spokesperson, Ignacio Echeverria, explained that around 3,000 people were at the demonstration and that later there were riots, five policemen were injured and damage valued at more than 9,000 euros occurred, but it was not proven that the crimes were committed by Hasél and his colleagues, who have never denied that they were at the demonstration. "The identification of the defendants in different positions in the demonstration measn that it cannot be maintained that the alleged criminal acts were committed in the vicinity, since this has not been proven, nor did the evidence prove their active participation in the criminal actions that were committed", the court maintains .

A generic prosecution

The court also criticizes the prosecutors and state solicitors because they presented a generic prosecution, without individualizing what action each of the defendants carried out. "No-one can be convicted for something other than what they personally have been accused of and which, therefore, they have been able to defend themself; and it must be understood item by item, not only a specific list of events", declared the court.

The same chamber maintains that "the defendants were not able to fully and adequately know the actions of which they were accused, because those who committed the crimes of attacks and injuries to the officers were not identified". The ruling specifies that in public disorder a joint action can be defended, but in other crimes "minimum requirements of individualization" are needed, and for this reason he also acquitted them of the crimes of assault, injury and property damages.

Criticism of Mossos

The rapper's support group criticized the fact that there were six Mossos d'Esquadra officers during the trial surrounding the rapper and that he was handcuffed during the sessions. As well, a few weeks ago, Hasél laid a complaint about the unpleasant treatment he was receiving from the officers, who suspended a medical visit he had because they did not want to remove his handcuffs or let him leave the room. The Catalan department of justice announced that his medical visit had been rescheduled.