Pablo Hasél

Hasél's official name is Pablo Rivadulla Duró ({{IPA|ca|ˈpaβlo riβaˈðuʎa ðuˈɾo|pron}}).{{cite web |author1=Consejo General del Poder Judicial |title=La Audiencia Nacional confirma que hubo delito de enaltecimiento del terrorismo por parte del rapero Pablo Hasel pero rebaja la pena |url=https://www.poderjudicial.es/cgpj/es/Poder-Judicial/Sala-de-Prensa/Notas-de-prensa/La-Audiencia-Nacional-confirma-que-hubo-delito-de-enaltecimiento-del-terrorismo-por-parte-del-rapero--Pablo-Hasel-pero-rebaja-la-pena- |access-date=27 February 2021 |language=es |date=14 September 2018}} However, some newspapers render his first name as Pau ({{IPA|ca|paw|pron}}), the equivalent Catalan language to the Spanish language Pablo (in English, Paul), and some include the conjunction "i" between his surnames as sometimes is the custom in Catalan, yielding Pau Rivadulla i Duró. He initially used the pseudonym Hasél, in reference to a revolutionary character in an Arabic short story, before later adopting Pablo Hasél as his artistic name.{{cite news |last1=Cruz |first1=Nando |title=Pablo Hasél: "Yo no estoy en ningun grupo armado"|trans-title=Hasél: "I'm not in any armed group"|url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/ocio-y-cultura/20180309/entrevista-rapero-pablo-hasel-6673028 |access-date=14 February 2021 |work=El Periódico de Catalunya |date=9 March 2018 |language=Spanish}}

File:Demà pots ser tu DC71090 (40556932194).jpg Mercè Alcocer, Pablo Hasél, Cassandra Vera and Marcel Mauri de los Ríos in 2018 at ″Llibertats en perill?″,{{Cite web|url=https://www.omnium.cat/ca/activitat/dema-pots-ser-tu/|title=DEMÀ POTS SER TU|accessdate=8 March 2021}} an event organised by Omnium Cultural, inside the framework of their campaign "Demà pots ser tu / Mañana puedes ser tú / Tomorrow it could be you", a campaign whose goal is to reflect on attacks on free speech.{{Cite web|url=https://www.naciodigital.cat/noticia/152033/valtonyc-hasel-cassandra-vera-omnium-uneix-veus-contra-repressio-estat|title=Valtonyc, Hasél o Cassandra Vera: Òmnium uneix les veus contra la repressió de l'Estat | NacióDigital|website=www.naciodigital.cat|date=5 April 2018 |accessdate=8 March 2021}}]]

Hasél was born in Lleida, Catalonia on 9 August 1988 to Ignacio Rivadulla and Paloma Duró.{{cite news |last1=Ricou |first1=Javier |title=Pablo Hasél, un agitador de familia bien|trans-title=Pablo Hasél, an agitator from a well-off family |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20210221/6257036/pablo-hasel-perfil-letras-tuits-polemicas-trayectoria.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=La Vanguardia |issue=2021–02–21 |language=es}} Hasél's father was a businessman and the president of the local football club Unió Esportiva Lleida{{cite news |title=El origen futbolístico de Pablo Hasél|trans-title=The footballing origin of Pablo Hasél|url=https://www.superdeporte.es/buzzeando/2021/02/19/origen-futbolistico-pablo-hasel/489660.html |access-date=20 February 2021 |work=Super Deporte |date=19 February 2021 |language=Spanish}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.libertaddigital.com/espana/2016-06-07/hasel-el-rapero-proterrorista-e-hijo-de-papa-que-ha-tomado-el-rectorado-de-lerida-1276575815/|title=Hasel, el hijo de papá proterrorista que ha tomado el rectorado de Lérida|access-date=29 April 2019|last=Planas|first=Pablo|date=7 June 2016|website=Libertad Digital|language=es}} and his mother came from an upper-class family of lawyers. Hasél's paternal grandfather was, Andrés Rivadulla Buira, a lieutenant in Franco's army, known for fighting the Maquis (anti-Franco resistance guerrillas that also collaborated in exile with the French resistance) in the invasion of Val d'Aran.{{Cite web|first=María|last=Palmero|url=https://www.vozpopuli.com/gritos/pablo-hasel-abuelo-franquista-novia.html|title=Pablo Hasél, al descubierto: su abuelo franquista, su misteriosa novia y más|website=Vozpópuli|date=16 February 2021|access-date=27 February 2021|language=es}}

Hasél began his musical career in 2006 as a rapper. His lyrics concentrated on social and anti-capitalist criticism.

In October 2011, Hasél was arrested and bailed for a song titled Democracia, su puta madre in which he praised Manuel Pérez Martínez "Camarada Arenas", the former secretary general of the PCE(r), who was sentenced to 17 years in prison for belonging to the terrorist group GRAPO.{{cite news |title=En libertad el rapero Pablo Hasél tras ser imputado por ensalzar al 'camarada Arenas' de los GRAPO|trans-title=Rapper Pablo Hasél freed after being indicted for praising GRAPO's 'Camarada Arenas'|url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-libertad-rapero-pablo-hasel-ser-imputado-ensalzar-camarada-arenas-grapo-20111005131203.html |access-date=14 February 2021 |publisher=Europa Press |date=5 October 2011 |language=Spanish}} In April 2014, Hasél was given a two-year prison sentence for the lyrics of ten songs in praise of GRAPO, ETA, Al-Qaeda{{cite news |title=¿Qué dijo Pablo Hasél? Tuits, una canción y enaltecimiento terrorista|trans-title=What did Pablo Hasél say? Tweets, a song and praising terrorism|url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/sociedad/20210216/pablo-hasel-carcel-twitter-cancion-11514742 |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=El Periódico de Catalunya |date=16 February 2021 |language=Spanish |quote=¿La razón? Enaltecer en sus diatribas en redes sociales y en su música el terrorismo de ETA, los Grapo, Terra Lliure o Al Qaeda. [The reason? Praising in his social media diatribes and in his music the terrorism of ETA, GRAPO. Terra Lliure or Al Qaeda]}}{{cite news |title=Hasél vuelve a pedir a la Audiencia Nacional que suspenda su condena |url=https://www.publico.es/sociedad/pablo-hasel-hasel-vuelve-pedir-audiencia-nacional-suspenda-condena.html |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=Público |date=9 February 2021 |language=Spanish |quote=Hasél fue condenado en 2014 a dos años de cárcel por enaltecer en sus canciones el terrorismo de ETA, los Grapo, Terra Lliure o Al Qaeda, castigo que la Audiencia sí dejó en suspenso. [Hasél was convicted in 2014 to two years in prison for praising in his songs the terrorism of ETA, GRAPO, Terra Lliure or Al Qaeda, a punishment which the Audiencia left suspended]}}{{cite news |last1=Juanico Llumà |first1=Núria |title=Les 10 claus per entendre el cas Pablo Hasél|trans-title=The 10 keys to understanding the Pablo Hasél case |url=https://www.ara.cat/cultura/pablo-hasel-claus-cas-preso_1_3874479.html |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=Ara |date=16 February 2021 |language=Catalan|quote=Hasél té una condemna anterior, del 2014, per enaltir en cançons seves el terrorisme d'ETA, els Grapo, Terra Lliure i Al-Qaida. [Hasél has a previous conviction, from 2014, for praising in his songs the terrorism of ETA, GRAPO, Terra Lliure or Al Qaeda]}} the Red Army Faction and Terra Lliure, and threats against leading politicians like José Bono or Patxi Lopez.{{cite news |title=Dos años de cárcel por cantar "¡Merece que explote el coche de Patxi López!"|trans-title=Two years in prison for singing "Patxi López's car deserves to blow up!"|url=https://www.elcorreo.com/vizcaya/20140401/mas-actualidad/cultura/anos-carcel-para-rapero-201404011735.html |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=El Correo |date=1 April 2014 |language=Spanish}}{{cite news |last1=Pérez |first1=Fernando J. |title=Dos años de cárcel para un rapero por enaltecimiento del terrorismo |trans-title=Two years in prison for a rapper for praising terrorism |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2014/04/01/actualidad/1396358305_946906.html |access-date=14 February 2021 |work=El País |date=1 April 2014 |language=Spanish|quote= Hasel, de 25 años, subió a la red social YouTube 10 canciones compuestas por él mismo en las que ensalzaba y alababa los atentados terroristas de Grapo, ETA, Al Qaeda, Facción del Ejército Rojo (RAF) y Terra Lliure, e incluso pedía a estas organizaciones que volvieran a atentar. [Hasél, 25, uploaded to the social network YouTube 10 self-composed songs in which he praised terrorist attacks by GRAPO, ETA, Al Qaeda, the Red Army Faction and Terra Lliure, and even asked these organisations to attack again.]}}

The Audiencia Nacional court suspended his entry into prison for three years in September 2019, on condition that he not reoffend, since the sentence was less than two years. Hasél violated this condition by continuing to sing and tweet.{{cite news |title=La Audiencia Nacional suspende la condena de dos años de cárcel a Pablo Hasel por enaltecer el terrorismo|trans-title=Audiencia Nacional suspends two-year jail sentence for Pablo Hasél for praising terrorism |url=https://www.lasexta.com/noticias/cultura/audiencia-nacional-suspende-condena-dos-anos-carcel-pablo-hasel-enaltecer-terrorismo_201909295d9086350cf247344f6b7f03.html |access-date=14 February 2021 |publisher=La Sexta |date=29 September 2019 |language=Spanish}} Hasél has denied that he supports Al-Qaeda or that it was listed among the groups he was charged with supporting.{{cite web|access-date=2021-02-20|author=lahaine.org|language=es|title=[Video] Jamás he apoyado a Al Qaeda|url=https://www.lahaine.org/est_espanol.php/video-jamas-he-apoyado-a}}

In May 2014, Hasél was arrested for being part of a group of around fifteen people that attacked a stall belonging to the Lleida Identitària, linked to the far-right Platform for Catalonia (PxC) party.{{cite news |title=Detenido Pablo Hasél por atacar en Sant Jordi la parada de Lleida Identitària|trans-title=Pablo Hasél detained on St George's Day for attacking the Lleida Identitària parade|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/lleida/20140514/54407927470/detenido-pablo-hasel-por-atacar-en-sant-jordi-la-parada-de-lleida-identitaria.html |access-date=14 February 2021 |work=La Vanguardia |date=14 May 2014 |language=Spanish}}{{Cite web|date=17 February 2021|title=Los disturbios de partidarios de Pablo Hasél incendian el post 14-F|url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/cataluna/2021-02-17/disturbios-partidarios-pablo-hasel-incendian-cataluna_2954411/|access-date=8 March 2021|website=www.elconfidencial.com|language=es}}

In November 2014, Hasél released a song called "Menti-ros" which included several depictions of shooting, stabbing or bombing the mayor of Lleida, Àngel Ros. He was charged with making threats. In February 2017 he was convicted of disrespecting authority, after the court concluded that the song did not meet the legal definition of a threat. He was fined €530.{{cite news |title=Rapero Hasél, condenado a 530 euros por faltar al respeto al alcalde Lleida|trans-title=Rapper Hasél, sentenced to 530 euro fine for lack of respect towards the mayor of Lleida |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20170213/425666817/rapero-hasel-condenado-a-530-euros-por-faltar-al-respeto-al-alcalde-lleida.html |access-date=26 July 2023 |work=La Vanguardia |date=13 February 2017 |language=Spanish}}

In June 2016, Hasél pushed, insulted and sprayed washing-up liquid at a TV3 journalist. He received six months in prison and a fine of €12,150 in June 2020.{{cite news |title=Nueva condena al rapero Pablo Hasél: seis meses de prisión por agredir a un periodista de TV3|trans-title=New conviction for rapper Pablo Hasél: six months in prison for attacking a TV3 journalist |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/lleida/20200605/481604217017/condena-rapero-pablo-hasel-agresion-periodista-tv3-lleida-udl-protesta.html |access-date=14 February 2021 |work=La Vanguardia |date=5 June 2020 |language=Spanish}} A few days after the court ruling and as a result of it, a group of unknown individuals attacked the headquarters of TV3 in Lleida.{{Cite web |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20200608/481667560725/atacan-la-sede-de-tv3-en-lleida-por-una-sentencia-condenatoria-a-pablo-hasel.html |title=Atacan la sede de TV3 en Lleida por una sentencia condenatoria a Pablo Hasél |trans-title=TV3 headquarters in Lleida attacked for Pablo Hasél's court conviction |accessdate=1 March 2021 |date=8 June 2020 |work=La Vanguardia|language=es}} In the same month, he received a 2{{frac|1|2}}-year sentence and €2,500 fine for assault and obstruction of justice, namely for kicking and threatening a witness in the October 2017 trial of a policeman eventually acquitted of assaulting a minor, accusing him of providing false testimony.{{cite news |title=Condenan a Pablo Hasél a dos años y medio de cárcel por agredir al testigo de un juicio|trans-title=Pablo Hasél sentenced to two and a half years in prison for assaulting the witness of a trial|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/lleida/20200615/481796511486/condenan-pablo-hasel-carcel-gredir-testigo-juicio-lleida-guardia-urbana.html |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=La Vanguardia |date=15 June 2020 |language=Spanish}} This sentence was confirmed in 2021, days after his imprisonment.{{cite news |last1=Albalat |first1=J. G. |title=Confirmada otra condena de más de dos años a Hasél por amenazar a un testigo|trans-title=Another sentence of over two years for Hasél for threatening a witness|url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20210218/condena-hasel-amenaza-testigo-11529520 |access-date=19 February 2021 |work=El Periódico de Catalunya |date=18 February 2021 |language=Spanish}}

In a February 2018 interview, Hasél defended his support of the Catalan Republic, and developed his position on free speech: "I will not be a hypocrite, I do not defend freedom of expression in the abstract. I do not defend the freedom of expression of a pedophile or a Nazi to say that homosexuals should be killed. Precisely, I fight against that. [...] I stand for freedom of expression to fight for democratic rights."[https://www.elnacional.cat/ca/politica/pablo-hasel-audiencia-nacional-terrorisme-rei_237702_102.html Hasél: "Els independentistes empresonats s'han enfrontat al règim, com jo"], ElNacional.cat, 10 February 2018 Later on, in another interview, in March 2018 Hasél said he was unable to find work due to his criminal convictions that disqualified him from the public sector for ten years, and that his last work had been grape picking in France.

In March 2018, Hasél was convicted by Spanish Special Court Audiencia Nacional in Madrid to a two-year prison sentence and a fine of €24,300 for insulting and slandering the Crown and using the King's image (for which he was ordered to pay a fine), for insulting and slandering State institutions (for which he was also ordered to pay a fine); and for the offence of glorification of terrorism, being aggravated because it was a repeat offence, for which he was sentenced to seven months imprisonment in one song lyrics and in 64 tweets.[https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2021-000593_EN.html Rapper Pablo Hasél imprisoned in Spain], European Parliament, 29 January 2021 The song was titled Juan Carlos el Bobón, which roughly translates as Juan Carlos the Clown, a wordplay on the former king's actual name, Juan Carlos de Borbón. In the song, Hasél recounts the former king's numerous scandals in a chronological order.{{cite news |last1=Torrús |first1=Alejandro |title=Estos son los 64 tuits y la canción por los que ha sido condenado el rapero Pablo Hasel |trans-title=These are the 64 tweets and the song which got the rapper Pablo Hasél convicted|url=https://www.publico.es/sociedad/estos-son-64-tuits-y-cancion-sido-condenado-rapero-pablo-hasel.html |access-date=14 February 2021 |work=Público |date=2 March 2018 |language=Spanish}} Many of his 64 incriminated tweets were actually about police violence and a lack of accountability in that area. In one of those tweets used in the court case Hasél wrote that Joseba Arregi Izagirre, a 1981 accused ETA member, was tortured to death in a Madrid prison; pointing out this fact was part of the evidence used to claim he supported terrorism.{{cite web |last1=van der Doelen |first1=Jaap |title=De staat versus Pablo Hasél: een Spaanse tragedie |url=https://www.hiphopinjesmoel.com/achtergronden/de-staat-versus-pablo-hasel |website=Hiphop in Je Smoel (HIJS)|date=20 February 2021 |access-date=27 March 2021}}{{Unreliable source?|reason=That's the opinion of Tristan Fleerkate, dutch tourist guide, who worked at the Prado Museum, published at Hiphop Injesmoel a rap blog/website. Among many other inaccuracies, he states Nicolás Poveda belonged to Franco's party despite he never belonged to Franco's party but to anti-Francoist falangist movement called FES, and then to FES. He is also of the opinion that one of Hasel's main themes is the lack of accoutability for police violence but that's his fringe personal opinion about the lyrics. His relevance as reliable source is more than dubious and his statements lack reliability or accuracy. |date=October 2021}} An appeals judge later reduced his jail term to nine months and one day because his social media remarks did "not pose a real risk" to anyone.{{cite web |last1=Congostrina|first1=Alfonso L. |title=Spanish rapper convicted over tweets arrested after ignoring prison deadline |url=https://english.elpais.com/society/2021-02-16/spanish-rapper-convicted-over-tweets-arrested-after-ignoring-prison-deadline.html |website=El País |date=15 March 2021 |access-date=22 March 2021}} This decision was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court of Spain in May 2020; both rulings were hugely controversial rulings.{{cite web |last1=Jacobo |first1=Dopico Gómez-Aller |title=The "Pablo Hasél Case" – Slander and Defamation of the Spanish Crown in the 21st Century |url=https://verfassungsblog.de/hasel-case/ |work=Verfassungsblog – on Matters Constitutional |type=blog |date=18 March 2021 |doi=10.17176/20210318-153948-0 |access-date=30 March 2021}}

One of the judges of the Spanish Special Court Audiencia Nacional in Madrid who sentenced Hasél was Nicolás Poveda Peña, who was an active member of the fascist Falange, the political movement of dictator Franco, and ran for election on the lists of the Falange Party - Poveda was appointed judge by the fourth turn, that is, without going through the process of competing for the position.[https://gara.naiz.eus/idatzia/20070113/art197018.php Del falangista Frente de Estudiantes Sindicalistas a juez en la Casa de Campo], Gara, 13 January 2007[https://www.publico.es/sociedad/hasel-pide-absolucion-vinculos-jueces-espejel-poveda-guardia-civil-falange.html Hasel pide su absolución por los vínculos de los jueces Espejel y Poveda con Guardia Civil y Falange], Público, 30 April 2018[https://www.racocatala.cat/forums/fil/236204/jutge-pablo-hasel-va-estar-llistes-electorals-falange-1979 El jutge de Pablo Hasél va estar a les llistes electorals de la Falange], Racó Català, 19 February 2021[https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20180303/prensa-hoy-03-03-2018-6664291 Altos cargos de la Generalitat dan parte de su sueldo a Puigdemont, dice 'El País'], El Periódico de Catalunya, 3 March 2018[https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/03/01/why-spanish-courts-censor-art-speech-and-rap-lyrics A fit of intolerance - Why Spanish courts censor art, speech and rap lyrics], The Economist, 3 March 2018

On 28 January 2021, Hasél was ordered to voluntarily enter prison within ten days to serve the nine-month and one day sentence. The order was made public by the artist himself. On the same day the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, Róbert Ragnar Spanó, issued a warning to Spain that the Strasbourg doctrine on the rights in cases of criticism of ″public personas″ is ″clear″, quoting from two other Spanish cases where the ECHR ruled that Spanish sentences had been disproportionately harsh. Spanó explained that "public office holders, ministers, kings – because of the public nature of their functions – must accept wider ranges of criticism".[https://www.elnacional.cat/en/news/catalan-rapper-pablo-hasel-enter-prison_578052_102.html Catalan rapper Pablo Hasél ordered to enter prison within ten days], El Nacional, 28 January 2021

On 6 February a thousand people gathered in the Plaza Jacinto Benavente in Madrid in solidarity with Hasél and in defence of freedom of expression and conscience with dozens of riot police vans and police armed with rifles in front of the gathering.{{cite web |last1=Gomez Movellan |first1=Antonio |title=Reformar el código penal y la concepción autoritaria del orden público |url=https://blogs.publico.es/dominiopublico/36341/reformar-el-codigo-penal-y-la-concepcion-autoritaria-del-orden-publico |website=Público |date=9 February 2021 |access-date=27 March 2021}} On 12 February 2021, the day of his deadline to go to prison, Hasél released the song, Ni Felipe VI, ironically dedicating it to "the misnamed progressive [PSOE-Podemos] government which has perpetuated repression. Feeling nervous as the streets fill up for freedom of expression, they have promised to do something, trying to stop the mobilisation, but only with this will we win this struggle". The song begins with an intervention by the Spanish king Felipe VI in which he states that "without freedom of expression and information there is no democracy".{{cite web |last1=Lüdke |first1=Steffen |title=Kommunist gegen König |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/rapper-pablo-hasel-in-spanien-worum-es-bei-den-protesten-geht-a-1d05e8ab-344c-48d6-83aa-d8438c884dd6 |publisher=Der Spiegel| date=19 February 2021 |access-date=27 March 2021}} Within the first month the song had 1.5 million views on Youtube.{{cite AV media |people=Pablo Hasel |date=12 February 2021 |title=NI FELIPE VI |medium=Videoclip |language=es |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qRZ8Q5ap8E |access-date=27 March 2021 |publisher=Youtube}}

Hasél publicly refused this prison order,{{cite news |title=El rapero Pablo Hasel advierte de que no irá de manera voluntaria a prisión este viernes: "Tendrán que venir a secuestrarme"|trans-title=Rapper Pablo Hasél warns that he will not go voluntarily to prison this Friday: "They'll have to come to kidnap me"|url=https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2021/02/12/6026aed9fdddffd4238b45b8.html |access-date=14 February 2021 |work=El Mundo |date=12 February 2021 |language=Spanish}} and was eventually arrested on 16 February. Hasel, alongside a group of over 50 students, had barricaded himself inside University of Lleida's rectorate building in protest against his sentence.{{Cite web|title=Pablo Hasel: Spanish police arrest rapper|url=https://www.dw.com/en/pablo-hasel-spanish-police-arrest-rapper/a-56583303|access-date=16 February 2021|publisher=Deutsche Welle}} Hasél's freedom was supported by Amnesty International and a letter signed by 300 Spanish artists including Pedro Almodóvar and Javier Bardem,{{cite news |title=Rapper defiant as jail looms, posing quandry for Spain |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210212-rapper-defiant-as-jail-looms-posing-quandry-for-spain |access-date=14 February 2021 |publisher=France 24 |date=12 February 2021}} as well as by President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador, former Bolivian President Evo Morales and Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro.{{cite news |title=Lopez [sic] Obrador sale en defensa de Hasél: "¡Ya, libérenlo!"|trans-title=López Obrador comes out in defence of Hasél: "Free him already!"|url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20210222/lopez-obrador-hasel-liberenlo-ya-11537331 |access-date=23 February 2021 |work=El Periódico de Catalunya |date=22 February 2021 |language=Spanish}}{{Cite web|date=17 February 2021|title=López Obrador, Evo Morales y Nicolás Maduro muestran su solidaridad con Pablo Hasel|url=https://www.naiz.eus/eu/info/noticia/20210217/lopez-obrador-evo-morales-y-nicolas-maduro-muestran-su-solidaridad-con-pablo-hasel|access-date=25 February 2021|website=NAIZ|language=es}} Hasél's imprisonment led to nights of protests involving thousands of people in cities including Valencia, Madrid and Barcelona.{{cite news |title=Pablo Hasél protests: Violence in Spanish cities over rapper's jailing |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56107027 |access-date=19 February 2021 |publisher=BBC News |date=18 February 2021}} Podemos has likened Hasél's case to that of Valtònyc, another Spanish rapper prosecuted by the Spanish judiciary, who fled to Belgium in 2018 after a 3{{frac|1|2}}-year prison sentence for writing song lyrics that a court found glorified terrorism and insulted the monarchy. PEN Català published a communiqué – in collaboration with the Catalan Academy of Music, the Association of Catalan Language Writers, the Association of Periodicals in Catalan, Editors.cat, the Fira Literal, Freemuse, the Catalan Publishers' Guild, Llegir en català, Òmnium; in defense of freedom of expression and for the release of Hasél.{{cite web|url=https://www.pencatala.cat/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Definitiu-4_COMUNICAT-PREMSA-DEL-PEN-CATALA%CC%80_Pablo-Hase%CC%81l.pdf|title=En col·laboració amb l'Acadèmia catalana de la música|publisher=Pen Catalan}}{{cite news|date=22 February 2021|title=Spain: Release rapper Pablo Hasél and uphold freedom of expression|publisher=Pen International|url=https://pen-international.org/news/spain-release-rapper-and-uphold-freedom-of-expression|access-date=24 February 2021|archive-date=16 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216072548/https://pen-international.org/news/spain-release-rapper-and-uphold-freedom-of-expression|url-status=dead}}

On 1 March 2021, the public prosecutor's office asked for another five years and three months in prison for Hasél, for incidents that took place on the night of 25 March 2018 in the attempted assault on the Government subdelegation in Lleida in protest against the arrest of Carles Puigdemont a few hours earlier in Germany. Hasél and 10 defendants had the intention, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office, to disrupt the protection operation and "gain access to the building", a symbol of the central government in Lleida. The State Attorney's Office is involved in the case to claim compensation for the material damage, while the Generalitat de Catalunya brought no action against Hasél.https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2021/03/01/60380769fc6c83de208b458a.html La Fiscalía pide otros 5 años de prisión para Pablo Hasel por los altercados tras la detención de Carles Puigdemont, El Mundo, 1 March 2021

On 22 March 2021 the Council published the Commissioner for Human Rights, (Dunja Mijatović), letter addressed to the Minister of Justice of Spain. It stated that – in addition to the lack of legal clarity – Spanish courts in Madrid had not explained in such cases whether the denounced "glorification of terrorism really entailed the risk of a real, concrete and immediate danger". Only then could anti-terror legislation be used to restrict freedom of expression. With regard to the allegations of lèse-majesté, it stressed that the possibilities for restricting freedom of expression here were very limited, "especially when it comes to politicians, public officials and other public figures". It called for "comprehensive" legislative changes to strengthen freedom of expression in line with the European Convention on Human Rights.[https://elpais.com/espana/2021-03-22/el-consejo-de-europa-pide-a-espana-que-refuerce-la-proteccion-de-la-libertad-de-expresion.html El Consejo de Europa pide a España cambios legales sobre los insultos a la Monarquía y el enaltecimiento del terrorismo], El País, 22 March 2021[https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2021-03/spanien-meinungsfreiheit-menschenrecht-strafgesetzgebung-pablo-hasel-dunja-mijatovic?utm Europaratskommissarin ruft Spanien auf, Strafgesetzgebung zu ändern], Die Zeit, 22 March 2021[https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/spanish-authorities-should-amend-the-criminal-code-to-strengthen-existing-safeguards-of-the-right-to-freedom-of-expression Spanish authorities should amend the Criminal Code to strengthen existing safeguards of the right to freedom of expression], Council of Europe And the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) also requested Spain to reform its Law on Citizen Security of 2015 because of its repressive potential.[https://elpais.com/espana/2021-03-22/la-comision-de-venecia-pide-a-espana-que-reforme-la-ley-mordaza.html La Comisión de Venecia pide a España que reforme la 'ley mordaza'], El País, 22 March 2021[https://search.coe.int/directorate_of_communications/Pages/result_details.aspx?ObjectId=0900001680a1dd7f Venice Commission: Spain should reform the citizens' security law], Council of Europe, 22 March 2021[https://www.vilaweb.cat/noticies/consell-europa-reforma-codi-penal-llibertat-dexpressio El Consell d'Europa renya Espanya per la violació de la llibertat d'expressió i li exigeix reformes legals], VilaWeb, 22 March 2021

In November 2023, the European Court of Human Rights declined Pablo Hasél's application against Spain, stating that it considered his conviction to be proportional, based on relevant and strong enough grounds and addressing a pressing social need. Among other arguments, the institution pointed out that his committal to prison was because of his consecutive sentences and that he had just been sentenced to a fine for his statements regarding Juan Carlos I. The ECHR also justified its ruling by stating that unlike some other defendants whose sentencing by Spanish courts it had criticised previously, Hasél, when making critical statements about the monarchy and police, had not been a representative of a political party but merely a singer and had had time to consider his utterances rather than speaking on the spur of the moment; he had also not included evidence for his positions in the tweets and the songs.{{cite news |title=Estrasburgo rechaza la demanda de Pablo Hasél contra España y considera proporcionada su condena |url=https://www.abc.es/espana/estrasburgo-rechaza-demanda-pablo-hasel-espana-considera-20231109103050-nt.html |access-date=9 November 2023 |work=ABC |date=9 November 2023 |language=Spanish }} The Columbia Global Freedom of Expression academic initiative commented that with this ruling, "the Court contracts its own previously established broad scope of protection for political speech in this area" and goes against its own statements in earlier rulings that states should "restrain in the use of criminal proceedings against criticism of political institutions" and use prison sentences as punishment for political speech "only in exceptional circumstances".[https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/cases/rivadulla-duro-v-spain-the-case-of-pablo-hasel/ Rivadulla Duró v. Spain (The Case of Pablo Hasél)]

{{main|Protests against the imprisonment of Pablo Hasél}}

In the days and weeks after his arrest, a wave of protests occurred in cities across Catalonia and the rest of Spain. Damages in Barcelona were estimated at €1.5 million.{{cite web |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcelona/20210222/6257347/disturbios-hasel-barcelona-protestas-factura-destrozos.amp.html |title=La factura de una semana de disturbios se dispara y ya supera el millón y medio de euros| trans-title=The bill for a week of unrest shoots up and now exceeds one and half million euros | first=Luis |last=Benvenuty |work=La Vanguardia |date=22 February 2021 |accessdate=22 February 2021|language=Spanish}} Violence was reported in several cities.{{cite news |last1=Sánchez |first1=Guillem |title=Graves disturbios en Catalunya tras la detención de Hasél|trans-title=Serious unrest in Catalonia after the imprisonment of Hasél|url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20210217/manifestaciones-detencion-pablo-hasel-11523970 |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=El Periódico de Catalunya |date=17 February 2021 |language=Spanish}}{{cite news |title=Pablo Hasel: Violence in Madrid and Barcelona over rapper's jailing |url=https://www.euronews.com/2021/02/18/pablo-hasel-violence-in-madrid-and-barcelona-over-rapper-s-jailing |access-date=21 February 2021 |publisher=Euronews |date=18 February 2021}}{{cite news |title=Valencia vive otra noche de violencia por la detención de Hasel|trans-title=Valencia witnesses another night of violence after the imprisonment of Hasél|url=https://www.lasprovincias.es/politica/concentracion-personas-valencia-20210218193452-nt.html?ref=https:%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=Las Provincias |date=19 February 2021 |language=Spanish}}{{cite news |title=Disturbios en la zona del Casco Viejo de Bilbao tras la manifestación de apoyo a Hasel|trans-title=Unrest in the Old Town area of Bilbao after the demonstration in support of Hasél|url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/4593109/0/disturbios-zona-casco-viejo-bilbao-manifestacion-apoyo-pablo-hasel/ |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=20 minutos |date=21 February 2021 |language=Spanish}} Nearly 200 people were detained, 200 injured, a Reuters-journalist and a 19-year-old woman, who lost an eye, were among those when agents from the Mossos d'Esquadra fired foam bullets into the crowd.{{Cite web|last=Albalat|first=J. G.|date=25 February 2021|title=Los Mossos presentan el primer informe sobre la joven que perdió un ojo en las protestas por Hasél|url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20210225/mossos-primer-informe-joven-pierde-ojo-protestas-hasel-barcelona-11542705|access-date=8 March 2021|website=elperiodico|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=Els Mossos han detingut 109 persones en les protestes per Pablo Hasel|url=https://www.vilaweb.cat/noticies/mossos-detencions-129-persones-protestes-pablo-hasel/|access-date=8 March 2021|website=VilaWeb|language=ca}}{{Cite web|last=Carranco|first=Alfonso L. Congostrina, Ferran Bono, Rebeca|date=19 February 2021|title=Catalonia rocked by third night of protests over jailing of rapper Pablo Hasél|url=https://english.elpais.com/society/2021-02-19/catalonia-rocked-by-third-night-of-protests-over-jailing-of-rapper-pablo-hasel.html|access-date=8 March 2021|website=EL PAÍS|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Carrera|first=Gerard Fageda, Marta Rodríguez|date=17 February 2021|title=Woman loses eye after being shot with foam bullets by riot police in Hasél demonstration|url=https://en.ara.cat/misc/woman-loses-eye-rubber-bullet-demonstration-freedom-hasel-barcelona_1_3876067.html|access-date=8 March 2021|website=Ara in English|language=en}} On 1 March, a group of elderly people chained themselves to the Paeria palace, Lleida's town hall, demanding "an end to the repression of young people" and that agents responsible for wrongful actions be dismissed from the Mossos d'Esquadra.{{cite news |last1=|first1=|title=Nearly 400 Arrested And Injured As Protesters Demand Spanish Rapper's Release From Prison|url=https://jacksonvillefreepress.com/nearly-400-arrested-and-injured-as-protesters-demand-spanish-rappers-release-from-prison |access-date=4 March 2021 |work=Jacksonville Free Press |date=3 March 2021}}{{cite news |last1=|first1=|title=Un grupo de personas se encadena al patio de la Paeria de Lleida |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/lleida/20210302/6262263/grupo-personas-encadena-paeria-lleida.html |access-date=4 March 2021 |work=La Vanguardia |date=2 March 2021}}

{{Gallery

| align = center

| width = 275

| File: Mural censurat Borbon-ladron.jpg

| alt1= Political mural by Roc Blackblock in support of Hasél at the Parque de las Tres Chimeneas

| Political mural by Roc Blackblock in support of Hasél at the {{ill|Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies|ca}} – an area designed for urban art in Barcelona. It showed an image of Juan Carlos with the word ladrón (thief) pinned to his head. Words describing him as an elephant killer and the son of a dictator surrounded the portrait. It was destroyed in February 2021 on the orders of the Barcelona police.{{Cite web|url=https://www.publico.es/sociedad/ayuntamiento-barcelona-grafiti-rey-libertad-pablo-hasel.html|title=Polémica en el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona tras borrar un grafiti del rey emérito a favor de la libertad de Pablo Hasél|website=Público|date=9 February 2021 |accessdate=8 March 2021}} The city council later apologised for its destruction.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eldiario.es/catalunya/ayuntamiento-barcelona-disculpa-borrar-grafiti-rey-juan-carlos-apoyo-pablo-hasel_1_7204990.html|title=Barcelona City Council apologizes after erasing graffiti on King Juan Carlos in support of Pablo Hasel|date=9 February 2021|website=Spain's News|accessdate=8 March 2021}}

| File: Mural Pablo Hasél a Cardedeu 01.jpg

| alt2= Llibertat Pablo Hasel

| Political mural by Catalan artist Cinta Vidal Llibertat Pablo Hasel ("Free Pablo Hasel" in Catalan) in Cardedeu, created following the destruction of the former. It shows Juan Carlos painting over the image of Pablo Hasel with a bland grey colour.[https://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/spanien-brennende-muellcontainer-fuer-den-rapper-pablo-hasel-1.5210119 Brennende Müllcontainer für den Rapper Pablo Hasél], Süddeutsche Zeitung, 18. Februar 2021

| File: Protestes contra l'empresonament de Pablo Hasél, manifestació a Barcelona.jpg

| alt3= Demonstration in Barcelona on 16 February 2021 against Hasél's incarceration.

| Demonstration in Barcelona on 16 February 2021 against Hasél's incarceration. The banner reads Llibertat Pablo Hasel – Les paraules són armes ("Free Pablo Hasel – Words are weapons" in Catalan)

| File: Pancarta a favor de Pablo Hasél a Girona.jpg

| alt4= Banner in support of Pablo Hasél.

| Banner in Girona in support of Pablo Hasél. It reads Llibertat Pablo Hasel – rapejar no és delicte! ("Free Pablo Hasel- To rap is not a crime!" in Catalan)

}}

• Esto no es el paraíso (2005)
• Miedo y asco en Ilerda – Re-released under the title Ilerda rima con mierda (2007)
• Trastorno Tripolar (2007)
• Desde el abismo se goza de las mejores vistas (2008)
• No me joda doctor (2008)
• Recital de ideales/No me joda Doctor (2008)
• En ningún lugar pero aquí (2008)
• Descuartizando resacas (2009)
• Quemando la vida (with Kaktan) (2009)
• Cuando el tiempo no nos tocaba las ilusiones (2009)
• Se lo vomite al viento mientras ella se drogaba con otro (2010)
• Inéditas por culpa de Aileen Wuornos (2010)
• Banquete de larvas (2010)
• Siempre perdidos 1 (2010)
• Siempre perdidos 2 (2010)
• El Che disparaba (2011)
• Solos en medio del misterio infinito (2011)
• Polvo y ceniza (2011)
• Un café con Gudrun Ensslin (2011)
• El infierno sería verlos más allá (2011)
• Crucificado en tu clítoris (2011)
• Besos cortados con coca (2011)
• Canciones supervivientes al registro policial (2012)
• La tortura placentera de la luna: algunas canciones inéditas (2012)
• Escribiendo con Ulrike Meinhof (2012)
• Empezar de bajo 0: Algunos poemas grabados (2012)
• La noche que supe que hay laberintos sin salida (2012)
• Poemas de presos políticos comunistas (2012)
• Los gusanos nunca volarán (inéditas) (2012)
• La muerte nos obligó a vivir (2012)
• Sigue desnudándose la dictadura del capital (2013)
• Por mera supervivencia (inéditas) (2013)
• Por mera supervivencia II (inéditas) (2013)
• Por mera supervivencia III (inéditas) (2013)
• Exprimiendo el corazón (inéditas) (2013)
• Tarde o temprano Venceremos (2014)
• Mientras me asesina el tiempo (inéditas) (2014)
• Por escapar de la oscuridad (inéditas) (2014)
• A Orillas Del Segre (2014)
• Cafeína e imaginación (inéditas) (2015)
• Burlando al dolor (2015)
• Boicot Activo (2015)
• Hasta el fin de mis días (2015)
• Resistir hasta vencer (2016)
• Esto ya ni desahoga (inéditas) (2016)
• Fuerte fragilidad (2017)
• Perdidos en el infinito (with Nyto Rukeli) (2017)
• El interrogatorio del atardecer (2018)
• La voz no puede encerrarse (2018)
• Ha llovido mucho (2019)
• Semillas de libertad (2019)
• Haciéndome la autopsia (2020)
• La inmolación de las entrañas (2020)
• Canciones para la revuelta y la soledad (2020)
• ¡Hay que pararlos! (2021)

• Recital de ideales/No me joda Doctor (2008)
• A Orillas Del Segre (2014)

• En ningún lugar pero aquí (2008)

• Las resakas: Besos cortados con coca (2011)
• La muerte nos obligó a vivir (2012)

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break}}

• Ciniko: Rabia (La teoría del nada, 2007)
• Zwit: Violé a mis monstruos
• Rekiêm: Insomnio dicta (Amaneciendo en persia, 2011)
• Be timeless: La muerte en cada partícula (Sencillo y en silencio, 2011)
• Charly efe: Follando como perros (Sra. Muerte pase usted primero, 2011)
• shakymc: Compositor de varios temas (Joel Murillo, 2009–2012)
• The Gulaggers: Whiskey & nachos
• Gorka: Señalando obstáculos (Con Pipe Díaz, 2013)
• Los Chikos del Maíz: Los hijos de Iván Drago (Pasión de Talibanes, 2011)
• RPG-7: Pásate (En tu ciudad, 2012)
• H.Kanino: Vidas al límite (Con Ozhe, 2013)
• Pipe Díaz: El eco de los disparos
• Pipe Díaz: Jódete Burgués
• El Invikto: Insomnio e Imaginación
• Valtònyc: Lo Que La Represión No Puede Frenar
• Saúl Zaitsev and Pipe Díaz: Somos

{{col-break}}

• Saúl Zaitsev: Otro Paso
• Arma X: Los Nietos De Stalin
• Nyto: Anticapitalismo o Barbarie
• Siker: Trabajos Forzados
• Cíniko: Sublévate
• Cíniko: Menti ros (dedicated to Angel Ros)
• Boot Boys: Hostiles Torbellinos
• Elisa: Siempre Vivirán
• ARS MORIS and Cíniko: Rojo remedio (2018)
• Koro: Parásitos (2020)
• Konorte: Askatasun Haziak (2020)
• Eshoj Ekirne: Seguimos firmes (2020)
• Mara: Sua eta Harria (2020)
• Luis Díaz: Internacionalismo (2020)
• Teko: Traga (2020)

{{col-end}}

Hasél has authored the following collections of poems and books, often in collaboration with Spanish poet Aitor Cuervo.

• Dos canallas a sueldo de La Habana (collection of poems, with Cuervo)
• Acerca del amor – Manuel Pérez Martínez (Arenas) (collection of poems, reedited with Cuervo)
• Derritiendo Icebergs (collection of poems, with Cuervo)
• Veinte poemas de odio y dos corazones descuartizados (collection of poems, with Cuervo)
• Con la solidaridad por bandera (collection of poems, with Cuervo, September 2012)
• Follarnos mientras ejecutan un banquero (collection of poems)
• Más que cifras (collection of poems)
• De la ansiedad a la esperanza (collection of poems)
• La violencia de las injusticias (book)
• Más allá del polvo (collection of poems)
• La resaca de vivir (collection of poems)

• Hasél: Poeta Proscrito, 58:05 min., 2021. Director: Nikone Cons, Nikone Cons's Youtube-Channel{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film761207.html|title=Hasél: Poeta Proscrito (2021)|accessdate=8 March 2021|via=www.filmaffinity.com}}

{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hasel, Pablo}}

Category:1988 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Spanish criminals

Category:People from Lleida

Category:Spanish male rappers

Category:Singers from Catalonia

Category:Spanish anti-fascists

Category:Spanish anti-capitalists

Category:Spanish republicans

Category:People convicted of assault

Category:People convicted of obstruction of justice

Category:Prisoners and detainees of Spain

Category:Obscenity controversies in music

Category:Spanish communists

Category:Spanish male criminals