Former President of controversial Spanish unity association ‘Societat Civil Catalana’ summonsed

Barcelona (CNA).- Former leader of controversial Spanish unity association ‘Societat Civil Catalana’ will have to appear before the court for having allegedly threatened pro-independence Catalan figures via a false Facebook profile. Bosch, who quit the presidency of 'Societat Civil Catalana' right after the 27-S Catalan elections, will have to appear before the court on the 20^th of January next, in Manresa. Lawyers' group 'Drets' claims that Bosch hid behind the name "Fèlix de Sant Serní de Tavèrnoles" on Facebook and sent numerous offensive messages and called for a boycott of many Catalan companies. "These hate speech messages constitute threat and abuse crimes as laid down in articles 169, 170, 205, 208 and 209 of the criminal code" stated 'Drets'. 

Magistrate Court number 3 in Manresa summonsed Bosch and has called him to appear before the court on the 20^th of January. Bosch has been accused of sending threats and offensive messages to pro-independence Catalan figures and also of extolling crimes and anti-democrat attitudes via a fake Facebook profile.

According to lawyers’ group ‘Drets’, Bosch used a fake Facebook profile under the name “Fèlix de Sant Serní de Tavèrnoles” to send numerous offensive messages and threats to pro-independence Catalan figures, including President Mas and former left wing pro-independence CUP leader David Fernàndez. In the lawsuit, Drets' lawyers include numerous documents showing that the person hiding behind the pseudonym “Fèlix de Sant Serní de Tavèrnoles” is in fact Josep Ramon Bosch. To prove it, they alleged the mobile phone number used to register the account is Bosch’s number. There are also pictures and identical texts published on the profiles of both "Fèlix de Sant Serní de Tavèrnoles" and Bosch only seconds apart. ‘Drets’ denounced these messages as containing “hate speech” against the victims, which constitute threat and abuse crimes as laid down in articles 169, 170, 205, 208 and 209 of the criminal code. 

Bosch stepped down for "personal reasons"

Ramon Bosch announced right after the 27-S Catalan Elections that he wouldn't continue in charge of ‘Societat Civil Catalana’. Although many accusations revolved around Bosch's figure and the aggressive electoral campaign that ‘Societat Civil Catalana’ carried out, he gave “personal and professional reasons” as his motives for stepping down. Vice-presidents José Rosiñol and Susan Beltrán also expressed their will to step down and Law Professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Rafael Arenas, is set to become the new president.