Journalists must pay compensation of 3,500 euros after they filmed SMS’je van Carles Puigdemont during Event in Leuven (Leuven)
Carles Puigdemont would come to a New Year’s reception from N-VA in Leuven in 2018. – © AFP
Two Spanish journalists must each pay compensation of 3,500 euros to the Catalan independence fighter Carles Puigdemont and his Minister of Health. This is because the reporters have filmed a sensitive message from the Catalan politician and broadcast during a visit to Leuven. « I resign, » Puigdemont sent, a text message that became world news.
In the stadium of football club Oud-Heverlee Leuven, N-VA organized a New Year’s reception on 30 January 2018. It was very busy in the hall and there were also many journalists from home and abroad. That had one cause: Carles Puigdemont would be present. The Catalan independence fighter had fled his country a few months earlier because he would be prosecuted by the Spanish court. This after he had organized a controversial referendum on 1 October 2017 and had even declared independence a few weeks later.
Puigdemont finally said last minute for the press moment. He did send a message to Antoni Comin, his Catalan Minister of Health. He was in the room and would speech. But for that he waited for a message from Puigdemont, who would tell him what he could say in his name.
© AFP
« Just when I went to speak, I received a message from Carles, » Comin said during the March trial. “But it wasn’t the words I expected. He sent: « I resign, I will stop politics. » That was sensitive information. «
Front page news
A Spanish cameraman realized what happened and filmed Puigdemont’s message. He recorded the words of the independence fighter, the following morning it was front page news. « He didn’t mean those words, » Comin said. « But our struggle for independence was over. And whose fault was that? Mine, because I was careless. But they were personal messages that were not allowed to be published. »
Public figures
The Leuven judge now ruled that the two journalists are guilty of unlawfully intercepting, taking note of and taking on private communication. « The fact that it concerns public figures is not a valid excuse, » the judge said. « Public figures also have the right to respect their private life. The politicians rightly feel hurt in their human dignity. »
The court takes into account the reasonable period that has been exceeded in this case. The two Spanish journalists are given a simple guilty statement as a sanction. To Puigdemont and his minister, they must pay compensation of 3,500 euros per person.
