• Justice: Condemned for insults a man who called Albert Rivera "cocainomano" and wished him death
  • New life: Albert Rivera signs for a law firm

The Criminal Court number 29 of Madrid has condemned the citizen Josep Roca for a crime of insults for calling former citizens' leader Albert Rivera on Twitter on countless occasions. Judge Alicia Barba also imposes a fine of about 3,000 euros on what is already the second tweeter convicted of the same conduct in recent months.

The condemned, native of Gerona , described Rivera in one of his tweets as the "greatest political cocaine man" whose "only weapon is to attack like a rabid dog" and urged others to "leave the coca" while accusing him of to have a "drug face" or that "coca" received it through "diplomatic bag".

According to the ruling, to which EL MUNDO has had access, the publications were carried out "with the purpose of damaging Rivera's dignity, discrediting the image of the political leader and damaging his reputation ." The former head of Citizens, who has just signed for the Martínez Echevarría law firm , did not claim any compensation during the trial, in which he was represented by the lawyer Ignacio Fuster-Fabra .

The defendant, who is retired, acknowledged that he had been the author, among others, of a tweet on September 8, 2018 and said, however, that he "did not remember" having written other messages that were displayed in which he said that "he had gone to see the person who provided him with that substance."

In his statement he said that his intention was not to insult Rivera, he claimed that he exercised his "right to freedom of expression" and wanted to make it clear that "a cocaine man is a sick person" and, in this specific case, "a political patient" .

However, the judge has considered that "the expressions uttered by the defendant on his Twitter profile were made with a clear intention to attempt against the dignity of the complainant" and, therefore, "are intrinsically injurious . "

"They are clearly vexatious comments, objectively injurious, unnecessary and not protected by any legitimate interest." "Using", the sentence adds, "terms that clearly undermine his fame and undermine his personal and professional dignity, especially when he is accused of addiction to a drug such as cocaine , with the social burden that this implies for the honor of a politician who aspired, at that time, to the presidency of the Government of Spain. "

Likewise, he considers that it is "repeated conduct over time that, in addition, was not carried out spontaneously or hotly by the accused" which implies a "clear meaning of personal and individual disqualification and not mere criticism, since such expressions were absolutely unnecessary for any purpose or object. "

This is the second sentence that condemns a tweet for disqualifying Rivera in similar terms during the last months. The Criminal Court number 11 of Madrid also condemned another citizen, Jordi Murgou , for insulting Rivera again as a "cocaine man", assisted in that procedure again by the lawyer Fuster-Fabra. In his case he was punished with a fine of 2,000 euros that Rivera donated to the Association of Victims of Terrorism.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Twitter
  • Madrid
  • Spain

Interview Hu Kun, vice president of ZTE, responds to the US: "The Chinese government does not control us"

Jordi Casanovas Theater on 1-O: "I was about to pack, it seemed we were going to kill ourselves"

CultureThe theater returns on March 27 to the Slaughterhouse with Shakespeare and comedy as headliners