Dilip Kuner
A SPANISH lawyer has complained to the European Parliament that the country’s coronavirus lockdown rules are illegal.
Jose Ortega has sent a letter to the Human Rights sub-committee demanding modifications to the government decree that put the country on a state of alert.
In it he says: “The government of Spain has illegally introduced a very dangerous and disturbing system of suspension of individual rights that could be described as a de facto transitional dictatorship.”
The letter received by PP (Conservative) MEP Leopoldo Lopez, who sits on the sub-committee, focuses on the restrictions to travel, and wants them relaxed to allow people ‘outdoor activity’ where risks of catching or passing on the coronavirus are not high.
In the opinion of the Spanish lawyer, the current regulations are an ‘effective suspension of the right to free movement.’
He added: “This is a fundamental right of the individual contained not only in the European Convention on Human Rights but also in other international human rights treaties and, of course, in the Spanish Constitution.”
He said that under Spanish law citizens can appeal to the courts against any clauses in the state of alert.
But as the courts have all closed down as part of the emergency this is not possible, so depriving people of their rights.
Yesterday Spain’s Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, revealed that 650,000 ‘denuncias’ or official complaints have been made about people breaking the regulations.
These potentially could all lead to fines. So far 1,962 people have been arrested for breaking the lockdown rules
It is dubious that the European Parliament will take any action at the moment.
Lopez confirmed to OK Diario that the sub-committee on human rights had received the complaint, but said that it is the wrong place to have sent it to.
He added: “There is no evidence that Mr Ortega has officially registered his complaint for processing with the Petitions Committee, which is the competent body to register this type of citizens’ request.”
Lopez has replied to Ortega, saying that the committee is ‘studying his case’.
Well Mr ortega you have had your five minutes of glory,so let us now get on trying to stop
the spread of this virus by staying at home. Nuff said!!!