A case in Castellón has concluded concerning public calls for aggression against people crossing the border near El Tarajal beach in Ceuta in May 2021. A local resident with ties to radical organizations was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
The court found that the defendant distributed videos and messages online calling for the use of weapons against migrants. These posts, published between May 18 and 30, 2021, were viewed about 250 times. The materials included statements aimed at fostering hostility, intolerance, and aggression toward a specific social group.
The investigation began after the organization «València Acull» contacted the prosecutor’s office. Representatives of the group identified content online that, in their view, could constitute a hate crime. Following the proceedings, the court concluded that the defendant’s actions amounted to incitement to violence and discrimination.
In addition to the main sentence, the court imposed a fine of 1,620 euros and banned the convicted individual from working in teaching, sports, or any other activities with children and young people for five and a half years. The verdict has not yet come into force, as the defense intends to appeal to the country’s highest court.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that the accused was linked to the ‘Democracia Nacional’ movement and had posted several videos on his YouTube channel dedicated to events at the border. In one video, published the day after the incident, there were calls to use automatic weapons against those trying to enter Spain. Other videos featured slogans about the need to strictly defend the borders, even resorting to lethal force, as well as assertions about religious and cultural confrontation.
The case sparked wide public debate and became a subject of discussion in the context of combating extremism and incitement to hatred in Spanish society.
