- The government delegation of the Basque Country, currently managed by Javier De Andrés of the Popular Party, has reaffirmed the first sanction always imposed on journalists by the Mozal Law. The answer has been given at the request of the Spanish Ombudsman. The Ombudsman, Soledad Becerril, declared in November last year that this fine is contrary to the provisions of the Spanish Constitution.
The Basque delegation of the Spanish Government rejects the request of the Spanish Ombudsman by means of a short letter and without explaining any argument. In November, at the request of the journalists’ association PDLI, the Spanish Ombudsman gave his opinion on the fine imposed on the journalist Axier López of LUZ. He called for the suspension of the sentence for lack of argument and lack of proportionality, so it was decided that the request for the suspension of the fine would be extended to the Government Delegation.
Waiting for the trial
On receiving the fine in March 2016, the members of LA LUZ unanimously decided that, with the Gag Law being an unfair law, we would not pay the fine and so we started the procedure for the trial. On the way, the trial will take place this spring at the Palace of Justice of Vitoria-Gasteiz.
