Rapper Valtonyc freed with precautionary measures in Belgium

The rapper Valtonyc is in Belgium and can enjoy freedom in this country –at least for the time being. The artist, who was sentenced to jail in Spain for some lyrics against the state and the monarchy, moved abroad before he was due to enter prison, and it was not until this Thursday that he admitted he is in Belgium, as thought by many. Meanwhile, the Spanish judiciary issued European and international arrest warrants against him. His lawyer explained to the Catalan News Agency that he handed himself in to the Belgian police and faced a court in Ghent later on the day. The judge decided to grant him freedom with some precautionary measures while deciding on the arrest warrant hanging over him.

While in exile, he released in June a cover version of the antifascist hymn 'Bella Ciao.' The cover features five women singing the classic lyrics of the Italian antifascist hymn, with Valtonyc himself rapping in Catalan and Spanish. The song, titled 'Alegrià e Libertà,' defends "freedom of creation, freedom of expression and freedom of thought." 

The rapper, born in Mallorca, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison last spring after being found guilty of glorifying terrorism, slander, and defamation of the crown in some of his songs’ lyrics. One day before the deadline given to him to enter jail, the hip hop artist tweeted that he “would not make it easy” for the Spanish authorities to incarcerate him. “Disobeying is legitimate and obligatory against a fascist state,” he wrote. Soon afterwards it was reported he had left Spain.