A CUP Activist Threatens His Ex-Girlfriend, but a Judge Doesn't Consider It a Crime

Aïda and Marc Ferrer were a couple for almost two years. Despite the love story they shared, the relationship between this girl and this CUP activist has ended up in court. Recently (and years after the end of their relationship), the activist publicly threatened his ex-girlfriend, just when she announced that she had registered as a member of Aliança Catalana.

"There will be no mercy for you either," Ferrer said on his personal account on Blue Sky. In fact, this Catalan volunteer firefighter has a long history of violent tweets. A few days ago, for example, he claimed that "racism and fascism" should be fought "by all means," including "armed" ones. In other words, he is someone who openly advocates terrorism.

Takes Advantage of a Vulnerable Situation

Aïda also reports that these threats are especially serious. Not only because of the threats themselves. But because, a few years ago, she was a victim of rape and assault by another CUP activist. Ferrer is aware of these precedents and, therefore, is conscious of the psychological harm he can cause with his direct threats on social media, the victim says.

Moreover, due to the first case, Aïda even had to move to another city, relocating almost two hours away from what was her home. Now, because of this second case, she is once again afraid to go to certain places. Marc is from Terrassa, and Aïda has part of her family there, whom she visits periodically. Understandably, she does so with fear due to the threats from the man who was her partner for almost two years.

The Judge Considers That Threatening 'No Mercy' Falls Within the Right to Freedom of Expression

This week, the case has reached the courts. Since it involves an ex-partner, it has been brought to the courts that handle gender violence cases. After taking statements from the parties, the judge opted for the "provisional dismissal" of the case.

The magistrate considers that the threats and insults (he also called his ex-partner "fascist, racist, and Nazi" while posting an image of a burning Nazi symbol) fall within the right to freedom of expression. He believes that the actions are not "constitutive of a criminal offense."

However, the magistrate refused to impose the payment of court costs on either party. According to E-Notícies, Marc Ferrer had a lawyer from the Alerta Solidària collective, who proposed that Aïda pay all the costs, but the judge didn't accept such a request. A request that clearly attempted to set a precedent to intimidate others who might consider reporting threats from people related to the CUP.

Marc Ferrer, in addition to being an active tweeter, has been part of the CUP since 2007 (he previously was a member of Esquerra Republicana). He even presented party events in some election campaigns. Additionally, he is also part of other so-called "anti-fascist" collectives like Unitat Contra el Feixisme i el Racisme. In fact, he has often served as a spokesperson for this entity on several occasions.