On Thursday, 11 December 2014, the Spanish congress approved a devastating new law that limits many civil rights in the country. The “law on protection of public safety” (Ley Orgánica de protección de la seguridad ciudadana) has been dubbed the  ‘Gag Law’ (#LeyMordaza), as it focuses mostly on limiting the civil rights of protestors.

Revolution-news.com has listed some of the most restrictive measures of the law. It includes fines for photographing police, the blacklisting of protestors and outlawing the gathering in front of the building of the very congress that passed the law.

In Spain the abbreviation ‘PP’ is not used by the pirates, but is associated with conservative party ‘Partido Popular‘, which is the only party that voted for adoption of the law. It also happens to hold an overwhelming majority in the Spanish senate, which will now have to give it’s final approval for the legislation to take effect.

Spanish lawyer and fellow Pirate Times author, Fabián Plaza Miranda, comments on the law:

This law is legally absurd and contravenes both the Spanish Constitution and several international treaties.

The Spanish edition of news-site ‘The Local‘ reports of protests erupting in congress, by both politicians and activist spectators as the law was voted into existence with 181 for and 141 against.

Amnesty International started a petition against the law in October of this year, which has raised 45,942 signatures so far. The human rights organization warns for the severity of the loss of civil liberties by this law.

Journalists, activists and citizens can be sanctioned and pay dearly for data recording or broadcasting authorities and forces security. And with that, not only jeopardizes the right to freedom of information, but the ability to show police abuse.

Featured image: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Brian J. Matis

On Thursday, 11 December 2014, the Spanish congress approved a devastating new law that limits many civil rights in the country. The “law on protection of public safety” (Ley Orgánica de…