Hello friends! You may be aware that the Spanish government had revoked my refugee status a few months ago for producing a movie on Prophet Muhammad’s life.
To continue my persecution, Muslims in Spain launched criminal law suits against me accusing me of hate crime for hurting their religious sentiments. And the court readily initiated my prosecution. There was a huge pressure on me to leave Spain or to be prepared for deportation or detention. But I decided to stay here and fight for my right to freedom of expression through legal means.
As concerns the government’s decision to revoke my refugee status, I have lodged an appeal against it, and the process is ongoing in the Spanish high court.
But concerning the prosecution of me for hate crime case, today I have good news for those, who care for the right to freedom of expression. The news is: The public prosecutor and the acting judge have acquitted me of any hate crime, citing that there are no indications of having committed any crime by me. Having examined my declaration and submitted documents, the court found that I always duly informed the government about my activities concerning Islam and that I never had any ill intention to hurt anybody’s feelings or threaten the national security of Spain.
This is a landmark victory for the freedom of expression in Spain and in Europe.
Friends, do you know what does this mean? This means that politicians in Western countries many be intimidated by Muslims to taking actions certain individual or group violating human rights, just for appeasing Muslims, but the justice system will more often than not will render proper justice and stand on the side of the wrongly persecuted. And I am happy and thankful that the Spanish judicial system has stood on the side of due justice and upheld my right to freedom of expression. I am also thankful to the Spanish court for making a statement for Muslims and radical Islamic organizations to take note that they may be able to intimidate politicians into taking illegitimate actions against certain individual or groups for political expediency, but the justice system would stand on the side of oppressed and persecuted.
Given the court has declared that I have committed no hate crime via my activities concerning Islam and that I have no ill intention of threatening Spain national security, I also hope that I will be to recover my refugee status—simply because, there is no more legal ground for revoking my refugee status anymore.
I want to thank those individuals and organizations, who have helped and supported me during this very hard time of my life, notably The Legal Project, Discourse Institute UK, M. A. big thank goes to Dr. Daniel Pipes for his concerns and help regarding my case.
Now I want to continue fighting until I get back my refugee status restored. That will set an example in Spain and wider Europe that Islam is no exception to due criticism in western democracies, and that we are not going to shut up, just because Muslims want to intimidate us by unleashing violence.
I request you to please sign this petition to the Minister of interior of Spain, requesting the restoration of my refugee status: Ministro del Interior del Gobierno de España, Jorge Fernández Díaz: Mantenga la condición de refugiado del ciudadano Imran Firasat
With sincere thanks,
Imran Firasat