Spanish National Court confirms rapper's prison sentence

The Spanish National Court has confirmed the prison sentence of a Catalan rapper found guilty of the offense of glorifying terrorism in some of his lyrics and in Twitter messages.

However, the judges reduced Pablo Hasél's sentence from two years to nine months and one day behind bars, meaning that he may not have to go to jail.

Spanish law states that if a convicted person has no previous criminal record, they do not have to serve prison sentences of less than two years.

Yet Hasél claimed on Twitter that he has another two-year sentence for the same crime, and so he thinks he will end up going to prison. However, the Catalan rapper said on Friday afternoon that he still had to talk to his lawyer.

Glorifying terrorism

In 2014, Hasél, whose real name is Pablo Rivadulla, was also found guilty of glorifying terrorism but his two-year sentence was suspended, but if the reduced nine month sentence is added to this former sentence, the rapper may have to go to prison.

Despite the court considering that the tweets in the case transmit "violence" and "trivialize terrorism", the fact that the radical political groups Hasél praises in the songs "have not carried out terrorist acts for some time" went in his favor.

The court also took into consideration that the expressions the rapper uses in the messages "are less explicit than those for which he was found guilty in the past."

In his original court appearance, the rapper argued that he used his songs and tweets to expose “objective facts” that he considered “unjust” and to defend “democratic rights.”

Valtònyc, another rapper with prison sentence

Yet, Hasél is not the only rapper facing prison for his song lyrics. Mallorcan singer Valtònyc fled Spain in May to avoid three and a half years in prison after he was also found guilty of slander and glorifying terrorism in some of his songs.

Valtònyc is currently in Belgium awaiting a ruling on his extradition to Spain so he can serve his sentence. The court in Flanders overseeing his case will announce a decision on September 17.