A man living in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, has been found guilty of inciting hatred by posting comments on a social media platform targeting Israel, Zionism, the United States, and the Catholic Church. He has agreed to a two-year prison sentence.
The guilty plea was made during a court hearing held at the Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Wednesday.
As part of the sentence, the defendant has agreed to attend courses on discrimination and equality.
Additionally, he will be banned from working in teaching, leisure, or sports-related activities for a period of four years.
While he is not immediately taken into custody, his criminal record verification failure means that he may still face imprisonment if found guilty of another offence.
The convicted individual is also required to pay a fine of approximately 1,000 Euros and delete the hateful comments from his social media profiles which led to the charges by the Prosecutor’s Office.
The defendant was accused of making numerous comments inciting hatred on the social media platform, where he has nearly 4,000 followers.
The Prosecutor’s Office highlighted 54 unrestricted posts containing images and videos aimed at inciting violence, hatred, and discrimination against the Jewish community, the United States, and Israel.
References to jihadism and violent acts were found on his page, including calls for violence and disturbing imagery.
Following a search of his residence in Puerto de La Cruz, various electronic devices and materials related to the case were seized.
The content of his posts often included derogatory remarks directed at former US President Barack Obama and made inappropriate jokes about tragic events.
He also made offensive comments about Israeli soldiers, calling them derogatory names and celebrating violent incidents involving them.
The defendant’s criticism also extended to the Catholic Church, as he created montages linking the religion to criminal activities.
