Prosecution charges far-right activist Alberto Pugilato with inciting hatred on social media
A court in Valladolid is investigating the activist after he targeted comedian Quequé and incited his 85,000 followers to pressurise him.
Alberto Pugilato charged with instigating ideological harassment from YouTube and X
The Public Prosecutor's Office in Valladolid has filed a complaint against far-right activist Alberto González de Juan, known publicly as Alberto Pugilato, for allegedly inciting harassment against left-wing media figures through his social media. El Mundo reports that a court in the city has already opened preliminary proceedings in the case.
The complaint, initially filed by a private individual, alleges that González de Juan used his YouTube channel and his profiles on X—identified as @albertopugilat and @pugilato2014, with more than 85,000 followers combined—to incite, legitimise and reinforce harassment on ideological grounds.
Among those affected is comedian Héctor de Miguel, known as Quequé, as well as journalist Sarah Santaolalla and communicator Elena Reinés, all individuals publicly associated with progressive positions. According to the complaint, the defendant published dates and locations of Quequé's performances on X, inviting his followers to "applaud him", an expression that the complaint interprets as a euphemism for assault. Later, on YouTube, González de Juan allegedly boasted that the Salamanca-based comedian had cancelled part of his tour as a result of the pressure he received.
The complaint describes a pattern of posts employing exhortative language aimed at collective action, normalising acts of political violence and validating harassment conduct within a context of ideological mobilisation. Among the slogans cited are expressions such as "Apreteu" or "Apreteu que funciona", used to intensify targeting of the people mentioned.
The Public Prosecutor concludes that the facts could constitute a hate crime committed on the occasion of the exercise of fundamental rights and public freedoms, as defined in Article 510, sections 1.a and 1.b, of the Penal Code. That provision carries prison sentences of one to four years and fines of six to twelve months.
The Public Prosecutor's Office sent the complaint to courtroom number 5 of the Instruction Section of the Court of First Instance of Valladolid. That court opened preliminary proceedings on 24 July to investigate the alleged crimes committed through the activist's digital profiles.
Source: El Mundo