Catalan actor summoned to appear in court after imitating Spanish Royal family members

Imitating Spanish Royal family members. This might be the reason why a well-known Catalan actor, Toni Albà, has been summoned to appear in a local court charged with slander. Albà, who has been famous for years for his satirical portrayals of the former king of Spain, Juan Carlos, took part in a performance during last year’s Barcelona festival, impersonating the 18^th century Spanish king Philip V, the monarch who put an end to centuries of self-rule in Catalonia.

Albà has been summoned to appear in a local court on January 30, next year. He explained on Tuesday that the legal documents regarding the case include pictures of himself dressed as King Juan Carlos and as Philip V. “I will never give up my freedom of speech,” he said in reaction to the summons. He added that in Spain, “you are punished for your ideas”. While he said that he was ready to assume the consequences of the case, he did not rule out “not recognizing certain authorities”.