"We will campaign in European universities to release Pablo Hasél from prison."

Barcelona"I was very surprised by the integrity, the determination of Pablo HasélI insisted that he tell me how I could help him personally, what shortcomings he had in prison, but his concern was only for the collective, for the erosion of freedoms. According to him, not only by the right but also by the left, which is complicit in the gag law"Because he didn't repeal it as he had promised. He was more concerned about civil liberties than his personal freedom," explains Dominic Keown, a Cambridge professor and life president of the Anglo-Catalan Society. Catalanists, made up mainly of academics involved in promoting Catalan in the university setting. He was accompanied by Henry Ettinghausen, also from the Anglo-Catalan Society, and Toni Strubell, from the ANC. Transition. The court found the content of 64 tweets and the video of the song to be criminal. Juan Carlos the Fool that Hasél had posted on YouTube. "I was struck by his altruism and reminded me of Oscar Wilde," explains Keown. The Irish poet was imprisoned for being homosexual, and his letters also express great concern for others.

Catalan and Irish rappers

"We were interested in Hasél because he's been in prison for more than four years and we found it absolutely incredible. We couldn't stand idly by, and we decided we had to act, do something because when they shut him down there were many mobilizations but now there's quite a bit of silence," explains the Cambridge professor. Freedom of expression is at a low point in Europe and the United States. "Throughout Europe there's an erosion of personal freedoms and often the most singled out are rappers. In the United Kingdom, Irish rap groups, such as Kneecap", he says.

One of the members of Kneecap, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, alias Mo Chara, appeared before a British court accused of glorifying terrorism for having displayed a Hezbollah flag at a concert. Kneecap, who staunchly defends the Irish language, also makes explicit his animosity toward Margaret Thatcher's legacy by singing at concerts. Maggie's in a boxMo Chara is scheduled to appear before a British court on September 26. Kneecap's expressed support for Palestine has resulted in the group being banned from Hungary (where they were scheduled to perform at a festival) and Canada (where they also had concerts scheduled). Keown, incidentally, has been introducing rap into his classes. "The students like it because they can make comparisons between what's happening in the UK and what's happening in Catalonia," he explains.

Hasél does not want to ask for a pardon because that would mean admitting his guilt, nor taking any action that has to do with repentance or backtracking," explains the Cambridge professor. Most pardons have specific or general conditions, and this determination not to back down means that, according to Hasél, his conditions in prison are sometimes a little difficult. minutes, the time allowed by the penitentiary institution, Hasél told Keown that he was having problems with his diet, which was aggravating the Crohn's disease from which he suffers. Hasél has also been banned from using the recording studio. and they are calling for his immediate unconditional release. "We will pressure politicians to improve Hasél's conditions in prison and organize campaigns in universities in all three countries, among young people, to raise awareness and denounce his imprisonment," assures Keown.