The Prosecutor's Office is investigating Pilar Rahola for hate crime and complicity with genocide in Gaza

BarcelonaThe Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Barcelona has admitted for processing a complaint against Pilar Rahola for the crimes of incitement to hatred and complicity with genocide in Gaza. As reported by El matí de Catalunya Ràdio and confirmed by ARA, the public prosecutor's office has ordered proceedings against the Mossos following the complaint filed by two militants of the Socialist Youth Organization (OJS), who pointed out the communicator for her political and media activity and her public statements in favor of the state of Israel and its actions in Palestine.

The two activists filed the complaint in February, after Rahola reported them for throwing red paint at her during an event in La Garriga, a case that is currently under investigation. In the militants' statement, to which this newspaper has had access, the writer's ties to Zionism are pointed out, and she is accused of having "publicly denied, trivialized, and justified" the genocide against the Palestinian population. "She acts as the main spokesperson for international Zionism and the State of Israel in Catalan and Spanish," they state.

The complaint points out that Rahola's interventions on what is happening in Gaza are not "disinterested" — "significant economic benefits and recognitions" received from Israel and Zionist entities are noted – and that they cannot be protected by the exercise of freedom of expression: "They are not limited to a critical opinion or a controversial historical interpretation, but rather constitute a repeated denial, trivialization, and justification of the crime of genocide committed against the Palestinian population, with a clear intention of dehumanizing this group," argue the complainants. "We are facing a media collaborator in the crime of genocide," they conclude.

The Prosecutor's Office decided to admit the complaint for processing on April 13 and the specialized section for hate and discrimination crimes of the Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Barcelona has opened preliminary investigation proceedings, to decide whether to file a complaint with a court or, on the contrary, to dismiss the case. "Given that it is a very political issue, the fact that the complaint has been admitted for processing is already a very relevant fact," celebrates in statements to ARA the lawyer representing the two complainants, Martí Abril. The proceedings are the responsibility of the Central Unit for Hate and Discrimination Crimes of the Mossos d'Esquadra and the forecast is that the Prosecutor's Office will make a decision in the coming months.

The throwing of paint

The two militants who have denounced Rahola are the same ones who were denounced in October 2024 for throwing paint at her during a conference by the Fundació Martí l’Humà in La Garriga. An action with which they already wanted to label her as a "spokesperson for the Zionist war and barbarism." The complaint against them was filed by Rahola herself, but also by the mayor of La Garriga, Meritxell Budó (Junts), and the organization of the event.

At this time, the case is in the investigation phase, after the two activists already testified in the Granollers courts last summer. Although there is no indictment yet, the young people were reported for minor damage, vexation, and coercion, with the aggravating factor of antisemitism. The lawyer Martí Abril, who is defending them, criticizes that the "legitimate protection of Jews" is being used to repress the movement of solidarity with Palestine. "It is an absolute perversion," he states.