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Caso Abel Azcona Apuntes-jurídicos-al-caso-AEAC-contra-España
Caso Abel Azcona Apuntes-jurídicos-al-caso-AEAC-contra-España
AEAC v. Spain | 2
Descripción de los Description of the
hechos facts
“Uno de los proyectos expuestos se llama “One of the exhibited projects is called
“Amén”, que puede molestar a los “Amen”, and it can disturb Christian
AEAC v. Spain | 3
The party Union of the Na-
creyentes cristianos. believers. The pho-
En el monumento a tographs are exhib- varre People and the Popu-
los caídos están ex- ited in the monu-
puestas las fotogra- ment to the fallen lar Party urged the Parlia-
fías del proceso que ones. They reflect
ment of Navarre to show its
llevó a cabo después the process carried
de recoger las hos- out after collecting “total repulsion” towards
tias (…) hasta es- the Hosts (…) until
cribir la palabra pe- he wrote the word Abel Azcona’s vexation
derastia”. pederasty”.
against Christians.
Desde ese mismo From that very
día se fueron suce- day, different
diendo diferentes ways of protest
formas de indig- took place against
nación contra la Azcona’s work,
obra de Azcona, which was a vexa-
que suponía una tion against the
vejación contra dignity of Chris-
la dignidad de tian believers, a
los creyentes social majority in
cristianos, que Spain.
son mayoría social
en España.
AEAC v. Spain | 4
La Asociación Es- The Spanish Asso-
pañola de Aboga- ciation of Christian
dos Cristianos, en Lawyers, in whose
cuyos fines estatu- statutory purposes is
tarios está “actuar “act against any action
ante cualquier actua- that injures, harms, or
ción que lesione, dañe mistreats, the Catholic
o maltrate a la Reli- Religion or its follow-
Azcona’s work did not only consist of the photo- gión católica o a sus ers” sued against
graphs, but also of a bowl with dozens of Conse- seguidores” se que- Abel Azcona.
crated Hosts that he subtracted. rella contra Abel
Azcona.
Los delitos de los que se les The crimes they were ac-
acusaba son: cused of are:
AEAC v. Spain | 5
Abel Azcona publicó Abel Azcona pub-
en su perfil de Twit- lished in his Twitter
ter: “Asistí a 242 Euca- profile to advertise his
ristías y con las hostias work: “I attended to
consagradas guardadas 242 Eucharists, kept the
formé la palabra #Pe- consecrated hosts and
derastia #Performan- with them I formed the
ceArt” para promocio- word #Pederasty #Per-
nar su obra. Y en su formanceArt”. And he
cuenta de Facebook uploaded his pictures
colgó las imágenes subtracting the Con-
donde se le ve sustra- secrated Hosts to his
yendo las Formas Facebook account.
Consagradas.
Hundreds visited the local exhibition hall just to say prayers of reparation for Azcona’s desecration next to the
photographs of the Consecrated Hosts and the bowl containing some of Them.
AEAC v. Spain | 7
Thousands of citizens demonstrated at the local exhibition hall, ask the City Council the removal of the work, and
prayed together in reparation for Azcona’s desecration.
b) La obra expuesta “no constituye un b) The exhibited work “does not con-
escarnio de los dogmas, creencias, ri- stitute a derision of the dogmas, be-
tos o ceremonias de la Iglesia católica liefs, rites, or ceremonies of the Cath-
ni de quienes profesan dichas creen- olic Church, or of those who profess
cias”. those beliefs”.
AEAC v. Spain | 8
Azcona’s vexatious work was legally prosecuted by three institutions: the Public Prosecutor, the Archbishopric of
Pamplona and Tudela, and the Association of Christian Lawyers.
Fue en este auto donde el Juez de Ins- In this court order the Instructor re-
trucción a sabiendas de la importan- ferred to the Consecrated Hosts as
cia de las Formas Consagradas utili- “white, round, small-sized objects”,
zadas por Abel Azcona para los cris- despite he knows the importance that
tianos, que son el mismo Dios para these Hosts have for Christians,
los católicos, se refirió a ellas como which are God himself for Catholics.
“objetos blancos y redondos de pe- The Instructor’s words seriously
queñas dimensiones”, dañando grave- harmed the most intimate beliefs for
mente las convicciones más íntimas Christians. These words entailed a
de los cristianos. Hecho que lo costó complain before the General Council
una queja ante el Consejo General del of the Judiciary.
Poder Judicial.
Summarized legal proceedings of the case Association of Christian Lawyers v. Spain
ECtHR
application
Third
Constitu- dismissal
tional order
Second
dismissal appeal
Triple
appeal order
First
procedure
dismissal
Triple
order
criminal
complaint AEAC v. Spain | 9
The first dismissal El 15 de noviembre de On November 15th
2016 el Ministerio Fis- 2016 the Public Prose-
court order was ap- cal interpone recurso cutor appeals against
de apelación contra el the court order that
pealed because the
auto que archiva la dismisses the case. The
instructor took into causa. La Asociación Association of Chris-
de Abogados Cristia- tian Lawyers also ap-
account the defend- nos también inter- pealed that order on
puso recurso de ape- November 18th 2016
ant’s declarations lación el 18 de no- before Navarre Court
that exculpated him viembre de 2016 ante of Appeal, asking the
la Audiencia Provin- revocation of the con-
and not those that cial de Navarra, solici- tested order and the re-
tando la revocación de opening of the cause,
could have charged la resolución así como alleging that:
him. reabrir las actuaciones,
alegando lo siguiente:
a) Se habían tenido en cuenta las ma- a) The Instructor had taken into ac-
nifestaciones extraprocesales del count the defendant’s declara-
investigado en orden a su exculpa- tions produced before the crimi-
ción y sin embargo no se diera im- nal complaint that led to his ex-
portancia o se limitaran sus decla- culpation and not those declara-
raciones en redes sociales y medios tions that could have led to an-
de comunicación. other decision.
b) El Auto se había dictado sin las ga- b) The order was submitted without
rantías del proceso, puesto que el procedural guarantees, because
juez había obviado la labor de la the Instructor obviated the in-
instrucción al examinar cuestiones struction’s work and he examined
que exigían la práctica de pruebas issues that demanded the practice
correspondientes al acto del juicio. of truly proofs in an oral trial.
AEAC v. Spain | 11
El 8 de junio de 2017 la On June 8th 2017, the As-
Asociación de Abogados sociation of Christian
Cristianos interpone re- Lawyers submitted the
curso de amparo consti- constitutional protection
tucional número 3129- appeal number 3129-
2017 ante el Tribunal 2017 before the Consti-
Constitucional. tutional Court.
AEAC v. Spain | 12
En su recurso al Tribunal Constitucional, The Association of Christian Lawyers al-
Abogados Cristianos alegó que “es nece- leged in its appeal that “a constitutional
sario un pronunciamiento constitucio- pronouncement is necessary in favor of
nal a favor de la libertad religiosa res- religious freedom, also with respect of
pecto al artículo 525 del Código Penal, article 525 of the Criminal Code, in sup-
en apoyo de la reiterada jurisprudencia de port of the reiterated jurisprudence by the Eu-
Estrasburgo, y de que en el caso de España las ropean Court of Human Rights. Offenses to
ofensas a los católicos afectan a una multitud Catholics affect lots of people in Spain, taking
de sujetos, habida cuenta de las raíces católi- into account the Catholic roots of our country
cas de nuestro país y de que el 77,3% se decla- and the government statistics stating that
ran católicos”. 77.3% declare themselves as Catholics”.
Tanto el juez de instrucción como los Both the instructor and the judges at
magistrados de la Audiencia Provin- Navarre Court of Appeal failed to ful-
cial incumplieron su obligación de fill their duty to base their legal rea-
fundar su razonamiento jurídico so- soning on objective facts. Many con-
bre hechos objetivos. Se pueden obser- tradictions can be found in the judge’s
var numerosas incongruencias entre los reasons, what left the Association in a po-
fundamentos reseñados por el juzgador, sition of total defenselessness.
lo cual dejó a la Asociación en situación
de indefensión absoluta.
También se ha in- The principle of
cumplido el prin- equality of arms
Many contradictions can cipio de igualdad was also vio-
de armas. Éste lated. This sup-
be found in the judge’s supone que las poses that the par-
reasons. And this left the partes deben tener ties should have
iguales oportuni- the same proce-
Association in a position dades procesales dural opportuni-
para alegar y pro- ties to allege and
of total defenselessness. bar. Pero en este prove. But in this
caso no ha habido case there was not
un proceso equita- a fair lawsuit by an
tivo por un juez independent, im-
independiente e partial judge since
imparcial, al cons- facts were recon-
truir los hechos de structed in a bi-
forma sesgada ased manner.
para beneficiar al
acusado.
AEAC v. Spain | 15
La Asociación de Abogados Cristianos The Association of Christian Lawyers
no tuvo un recurso efectivo, sino que fue did not have an effective remedy. It was
una mera formalidad en lugar de una se- a mere formality rather than a second in-
gunda instancia. El contenido del auto stance. The content of the dismissal order
desestimatorio de la Audiencia Provincial by the Navarre Court of Appeal proves that
de Navarra demuestra que se trató el re- there was not a proper treatment of the ap-
curso de forma apropiada, como exige el peal, required by article 13 of the Euro-
artículo 13 del Convenio Europeo de pean Convention on Human Rights
Derechos Humanos (CEDH). (ECHR).
No podemos olvidar que estos gravísi- It cannot be forgotten that these ex-
mos hechos no han sido ni siquiera juz- tremely serious facts have not even been
gados en España. No se practicaron las judged in Spain. Proceedings asked by the
diligencias que pedía la acusación durante prosecution during the pre-trial phase were
la instrucción, que sobrepasó sus funciones not carried out, and the Instructor exceeded
y entró en la valoración subjetiva del caso. his powers and valued the case subjectively.
Por lo tanto se puede concluir que España In conclusion, we can say that Spain vio-
ha violado el derecho a un proceso lated the Association of Christian Law-
equitativo que protege a la Asociación yers’ right to a fair trial, protected by ar-
de Abogados Cristianos, según recoge el ticle 6 of the ECHR.
artículo 6 del CEDH.
Pese a que el TEDH no tiene competencia Despite the ECtHR is not competent to
para conocer los errores supuestamente know the supposed mistakes of a domestic
cometidos por una jurisdicción interna, es- jurisdiction, in this case those mistakes led
tos errores han llevado a una violación de to a violation of the rights safeguarded by
los derechos salvaguardados por el Conve- the Convention. And the Court can excep-
nio. Y el Tribunal puede excepcional- tionally observe the reasons in fact and
mente apreciar los fundamentos de he- in law of a domestic jurisdiction in case
cho o de derecho de una jurisdicción of flagrant and evident arbitrariness (as
nacional en caso de flagrante y evidente in Sysoyeva v. Latvia).
arbitrariedad (cf. Sysoyeva c. Letonia).
AEAC v. Spain | 16
Se ha violado el derecho a The right to religious
la libertad religiosa freedom was violated
AEAC v. Spain | 18
The interference of the Spanish State in citizens’ private life
was disproportionate and discriminatory. It violated the
rights protected by articles 8 and 14 in the Convention.
No hay que olvidar que una política que It must not be forgotten that a policy
tiene efectos desproporcionados en un with disproportionate effects in a group
grupo de personas puede considerarse of people can be considered discrimina-
discriminatoria incluso si no se dirige tory even if it is not addressed specifically
específicamente a ese grupo (como en to that group (as in D.H. and others v. the
D.H. y otros c. República Checa). Czech Republic).
Por otro lado es importante señalar que On the other hand, it is important to note
el Tribunal Europeo de Derechos that the European Court of Human
Humanos ha considerado que una Rights has sentenced that a position
postura de odio disfrazada bajo la of hate under the guise of an artistic
apariencia de producción artística es production is as dangerous as a direct
tan peligrosa como un ataque frontal and sudden attack (cf. M’bala M’bala v.
y abrupto (M’bala M’bala c. Francia). France).
AEAC v. Spain | 19
The Spanish Association of Christian Lawyers is a non-profit organization founded in
2008 that works in the legal sphere to defend Christian values, as well as to promote the
culture of life, the family, and religious freedom. For more information:
www.abogadoscristianos.es | contacto@abogadoscristianos.es