Amnesty International defends the Democratic Tsunami mobilizations
Amnesty International has defended that the Democratic Tsunami mobilizations after the 1-O ruling cannot be considered acts of terrorism. According to the organization, the terrorism charges against those investigated restrict their freedom of expression and unduly penalize civil disobedience.
The organization has issued a statement calling for the immediate withdrawal of terrorism charges for all people involved in the mobilizations. Furthermore, Amnesty International has stated that the events investigated do not meet the threshold established by international standards to be considered terrorist acts.
Petition to Congress and reform of the Penal Code
Amnesty International believes that the Prosecutor’s Office should continue to insist that these actions are not investigated as terrorist crimes. In addition, the organization has asked Congress to take advantage of the current process of reforming the Penal Code to guarantee that only acts that meet the definition provided by the United Nations are classified as terrorism.
According to Amnesty International, for an act to be considered terrorism, three requirements must be met: intention to cause death, serious injuries or take hostages; purpose of frightening or intimidating the population or forcing a government or an international organization to do or refrain from doing something; and commission of crimes defined in international conventions and protocols.
The organization has highlighted that none of these requirements are met in the activities carried out by Tsunami Democràtic. Amnesty International considers that the definition of terrorist crimes in the Spanish penal code is vague and excessively broad, which is why it has demanded its urgent reform and its adaptation to international standards.
Interrogation of Marta Molina
The judge of the National Court, Manuel García-Castellón, plans to interrogate the ERC leader Marta Molina remotely. This interrogation will take place in the Ciutat de la Justícia of Barcelona via videoconference. Another eight investigated in this piece could also testify later, since they have alleged incompatibility of agendas, wish to testify from exile or request to be summoned correctly at their homes abroad.
In summary, Amnesty International has defended that the Democratic Tsunami mobilizations cannot be considered acts of terrorism. The organization has called for the withdrawal of terrorism charges and urged Congress to reform the Penal Code so that only acts that meet international standards are classified as terrorism. Furthermore, Amnesty International has highlighted that the definition of terrorist crimes in the Spanish penal code is vague and excessively broad, and has demanded its urgent reform.