Reaction to Spanish Court’s Decision Yesterday To Fine El Jueves Cartoonists

As noted yesterday, the writer Manel Fontdevila and the cartoonist Guillermo Torres were each fined approximately $4440 (USD) after being found guilty of attacking the honor of Spain's Prince Felipe through a cartoon cover appearing on the satirical magazine El Jueves. The best general write-up I've read thus far was probably in the Telegraph. The best news: they plan to appeal. The worst reminder: they could have faced jail time, and a conviction only increases the possibility this could happen in the future.

The cover in question showed Felipe and his wife having sex and the prince commenting that if she were to get pregnant the sex would be the closest thing to work he'd ever done. This constituted a barb at both idle royalty and at a program to pay Spanish women for becoming pregnant. As one might expect for the outcome to an initial charge that dropped jaws for happening in a Spain where many felt this sort of thing would never happen, the guilty decision was criticized for itself, for the chilling effect it will have on free expression, and as a sign that Europe has become increasingly intolerant of the outer edges of free speech.
 
posted 1:20 am PST | Permalink
 

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