By Joe Gerrard • Published: 25 May 2018 • 11:13
WANTED: Valtonyc was due to begin a three and a half year sentence
THE Spanish National Court has put out an international arrest warrant for the detaining of a Mallorcan rapper whose deadline to voluntarily enter prison lapsed yesterday.
The court issued national, European and international arrest warrants for Josep Miguel Arenas, 24, who was due to start a three and a half year prison sentence.
Rafael Catala, Spain’s Justice Minister, said: “This is the normal system when someone who’s due to serve a sentence flees justice.”
Arenas, who performs under the name Valtonyc, was previously found guilty of slandering the crown and lauding terror groups in song lyrics.
He failed to have the verdict overturned earlier this year on free speech grounds and he has been on bail and a countdown to freely enter prison ever since.
The artist posted a tweet on Wednesday in which he said he would not make things “easy” for authorities.
“They will knock down the door of my house to put me in jail for some songs. I’m not going to make it so easy, disobedience is legitimate and obligatory against this fascist state,” he wrote.
Guardia Civil and Police sources were reported in Spanish media the same day as saying he may try to evade arrest. Arenas was permitted free movement as part of his bail conditions.
The rapper’s whereabouts are reportedly unknown, with Spain’s Prosecutor’s Officer have said he is “unaccounted for.”
There is speculation he may have fled to Belgium due to his connections with the Catalan independence movement.
Some of those involved in last year’s push for independence, including former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, went to the country after Spain issued arrest warrants for them.
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