Christian Lawyers, list of lawsuits
Cartoon of 30/09/2018 in CTXT
The Spanish Association of Christian Lawyers asked for 22 months of fine (6,600 euros) for Willy Toledo and added one new complaint for a possible offence against religious feelings and for another offence of obstruction of Justice in the case opened against the actor for statements on Facebook in which he shat on God and the Virgin Mary.
"This is not about 'I shit on so and so', it is about attacking a dogma and it is a lack of respect and a crime against religious feelings, in this case Catholics, but it affects all believers", said the president of the lawyers' association, Polonia Castellanos.
The list of complaints from this ultra-Catholic association continues to grow, in the majority of cases they hide behind the prehistoric and very repealable, at least reformable, articles 524 and 525 of the Penal Code to continue with their medieval crusade against abortion and euthanasia, also trying to exploit the particular interpretation of blasphemy renamed as "crime against religious feelings" in the Penal Code. They have won some cases, but the percentage of those they lose is overwhelming.
The following is a list of some of the complaints filed by the lawyers, an association that is never short of money for lawsuits, and from them it is much easier to understand their more than outdated declaration of intentions.
Against Willy Toledo
2017. The Spanish Association of Christian Lawyers denounced Toledo for an alleged crime against freedom of conscience and religious feelings, to which it later added another of obstruction of justice.
They were asking him for a 22-month fine for writing some messages on Facebook in July 2017 that read as follows:
"I shit on God and I have enough shit left over to shit on the dogma of the sanctity and virginity of the Virgin Mary".
The trial was held on Monday 17 February, and Willy Toledo was acquitted of both offences at the end of the same month.
In November 2020, the Madrid Provincial Court dismissed the appeal by Abogados Cristianos and Willy Toledo ratified the acquittal of Willy Toledo.
Against Leo Bassi, the rector of the University of Valladolid and the Republican Athenaeum
November 2010 Christian lawyers filed a complaint against Leo Bassi and the rector of the University of Valladolid, Marcos Sacristán, for a conference-performance organised by the Republican Athenaeum, entitled "The Judeo-Christian roots of the West: a historical fraud to combat" and in which the comedian Leo Bassi performed disguised as the Pope.
The case was dismissed and the Supreme Court upheld the dismissal, also rejecting the complaint lodged by Hazte Oír and the Christian Lawyers Association.
Against Rosa Regás, Óscar Puente and Arcadi Espada
May 2013. Rosa Regás, Arcadi Espada and Óscar Puente are denounced for different opinions on abortion in El Mundo and on Twitter. In this case, although the underlying motivation is the issue of abortion, always from an ultra-Catholic point of view, they use article 510 (and others) of the Penal Code to denounce a possible crime against fundamental rights and public liberties and a crime of insult, considering that the accused "offend people with disabilities with bold disdain".
See complaint(PDF)
I still haven't found how this was resolved. If anyone knows, whistle away.
Against Abel Azcona and Maider Beloki
November 2015. Complaint for "acts of profanation in offence of religious feelings"based on articles 524 and 525.1 of the Penal Code against the artist Abel Azcona, author of the exhibition"Desenterrados" which was exhibited in Pamplona, in which the word "pederastia" was formed with consecrated hosts in a work entitled "Amén". The association considered this to be a "sacrilegious" exhibition.
In 2016, the Pamplona Court of Instruction number 2 closed the case anddid not admit the complaint filed against the councillor Maider Beloki. In May 2017, the Court of Navarra confirmed the dismissal of the complaint.
The Association of Christian Lawyers announced that it would appeal to the Constitutional Court.
The ultra-Catholic lawyers decided to go ahead by filing several complaints about the exhibition of the work in different places in Spain, such as Palma de Mallorca, Murcia or Berga (Barcelona).
In April 2021, the court of Berga the case was shelved.
Against Ada Colau and Dolors Miquel
February 2016ada Colau and the poetess Dolors Miquel are sued by the court of Berga for the "Blasphemous "Our Father. The 26th Court of Instruction of Barcelona shelved the complaint of Christian Lawyers and the Audiencia of Barcelona later confirmed the inadmissibility of the complaint filed by the Asociación Cristo Nuevo Amanecer. O_o
Cartoon of 21/04/2018 in CTXT
Against Elisa Mandillo for the Santo Chumino Rebel procession
December 2016. Oral trial is opened against Elisa Mandillo, who was denounced by Christian Lawyers for a crime against religious feelings for considering her the promoter of the march called "Procession of the Holy Rebel Chumino". The procession paraded through the streets of Malaga on 8 March 2013 on the occasion of International Women's Day. The prosecution is also asking for a fine of 3,000 euros, ten months at 10 euros a day. Related.
Update 23 November 2020. Elisa Mandillo is convicted sentenced to a 9-month fine of 10 euros per day as the perpetrator of an offence against religious feelings. In the trial, which took place on 14 October in the Criminal Court, she was acquitted of the crime of provocation to discrimination, hatred and violence.
Update 8 June 2021. The Court of Malaga confirms conviction imposed for an offence against religious feelings, rejecting the appeal presented by the defence and maintains the sentence of a fine of 2,700 euros.
Against Drag Shetlas
March 2017 The Public Prosecutor's Office opens proceedings against Drag Sehtlas for an alleged offence against religious feelings.
13 /03/ 2017. The Public Prosecutor's Office closes the case. The criminal investigation proceedings initiated following a complaint by the Association of Christian Lawyers are closed because it does not see any "intention to offend" a religion, but rather an "acid criticism" made in the context of a carnival.
12 /09/ 2017 Drag Sethlas, summoned to testify, once again, before the judge for his performance at the Las Palmas Carnival. Borja Casillas will have to testify on Wednesday 13 September after the Court admitted another complaint from a citizen of Seville accusing him of hurting religious feelings... (Source)
19 /12/ 2017: The judge closes the case against Drag Sethlas, considering that his performance was not offensive. Judge Estela María Marrero acknowledges that Borja Casillas' performance may have offended the religious feelings of a certain number of people, but "it is not necessarily offensive in the criminal legal sense". Let's see if the eternally offended are getting the message.
09/01/2018: The judge admits the appeal against Drag Sethlas. The Court of Instruction number 8 of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has accepted the appeal presented by Abogados Cristianos, after the judge Estela María Marrero Sánchez decided to close the case on the 18th of December.(Source)
30/07/ 2018. The complaint against Drag Sethlas is definitively archived and the Christian Lawyers Association is ordered to pay the costs.
The Provincial Court understands that the use of religious elements in the performance should not be taken out of context of what is a "transgressive", "exaggerated" and "daring" party and that therefore there was no "offensive spirit" towards religious feelings (Source)
Christian Lawyers criticised Judge Marrero for"a copy and paste" (sic)
Against José Cardador
July 2017. Complaint before the Public Prosecutor's Office against the municipal urban planning manager of Malaga, José Cardador for "prohibiting" religious images in public spaces of the Consistory, specifically in the Municipal Urban Planning Management of Malaga for a crime against religious feelings contained in article 525 of the Penal Code, and for a crime of prevarication contemplated in article 404. I do not know the status of this complaint.
Against Carlos Santiago
February 2018. They announced a complaint against the writer and playwright Carlos Santiago for the Carnival of Santiago, for"vexatious anti-Christian content" and announced that they were looking for arguments to extend the complaint to the mayor, Martiño Noriega. The association, in a press release, points out that during the monologue "allusions were made to the eggs of the apostle Santiago and insinuations about fellatio of the Virgin of Pilar to the saint".
In October 2018 the complaint is admitted for processing.
February 2018 cartoon about this other case.
Against Ana Otadui and Alberto de las Heras
June 2018. The president of the General Assembly of Bizkaia is being investigated for the exhibition of "vexatious" images against Christians, considering them a crime against religious feelings, the president of the Assembly, Ana Otadui (PNV), and Alberto de las Heras, author of the play"From Russia with Love", are denounced.
The image was part of the exhibition "Bilbao Bizkaia Pride 2018: art for sexual diversity", as part of the events of the International Day against LGTBIphobia.
Against Blanca Cañedo-Argüelles
June 2018. Complaint against Blanca Cañedo-Argüelles, defender of abortion rights, director of the Belladona Clinic, member of the Board of Directors of ACAI and President of the Association Mar de Niebla. Compensation of 6,000 euros is sought "for unlawful interference with the honour" of the association for statements made by Cañedo in an interview published on 19 March in La Voz de Asturias.
In December 2019, the Provincial Court of Valladolid blanca Cañedo is acquitted-Argüelles of the prosecution. Against this decision, handed down on Friday 13 December, an appeal in cassation can be lodged before the same court.
Against Ismael Ballester
July 2018. Complaint against Ismael Ballester of Esquerra Unida, first deputy mayor of Callosa del Segura (Alicante), for "injuring his dignity and undermining his reputation" for stating that "Christian Lawyers is a clearly anti-democratic platform", that "the extreme right is once again trying to involve Spanish society by linking religion with extreme right-wing ideology", He also said that "all they do is try to put pressure on the judicial system and politicians, even reaching local parties".
The trial was held on 1 October and in the judgement of 4 October Ismael Ballester was acquitted and the Christian Lawyers Association was ordered to pay costs. (Source)
Against the Ministry of the Interior
August 2018Lawsuit the Ministry of the Interior for maintaining the public utility of a pro-euthanasia association. Christian Lawyers asks the National Court to revoke the public utility of Derecho a Morir Dignamente (DMD) in Madrid on the grounds that its activity is "of dubious legal protection and its aims are contrary to the law".
This collection of cases continues on page 2.
