PP youth branch moves to expel member who issued Twitter death threat to deputy

The youth branch of the ruling Popular Party (PP) has moved to expel one of its members who issued a death threat against a United Left (IU) deputy via Twitter. Jaime Mora, a member of the Latina district branch of the New Generations movement in Madrid, made the threat in response to comments by IU lawmaker Alberto Garzón hailing Monday’s decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to strike down Spain’s so-called “Parot doctrine” on prison sentences, which mostly affects ETA terrorists.

“On second thoughts, killing you or anyone of your ilk is going to bring an equally heavy penalty upon us!” Mora wrote. “Maybe it’s not such a bad idea... you buffoon.”

Garzón had praised the ECHR ruling on the doctrine — which is a legal method of preventing ETA terrorists and other long-term prisoners from being released long before serving their full sentences — as “good news” because, in his judgment, laws had to be applied based “on good reason and human rights, not on hate.”

New Generations has now opened proceedings to expel Mora over the threats, according to a statement by the group. A spokesman for the PP youth wing added that the youngster had presented his resignation following the internet uproar raised by his comments. New Generations said it had already agreed to suspend Mora’s membership as a precautionary measure and open corresponding disciplinary proceedings.

Garzón has decided to report the numerous threats against him and his family he has received on various social networks since publishing his post. He has said he has counted 10 or so threats to harm him or rape members of his family, which he plans to compile and bring to the attention of the police station in Congress. “Threatening a deputy is no laughing matter,” he said.

New Generations rushed to distance itself from Mora’s comments as soon as the tweet was published, making it clear that they did not represent the views of the organization nor did it share them “in any way.”

Mora himself was forced to backtrack a short time later. He apologized to those to whom he had caused offense and emphasized that New Generations “distances itself from behavior of this kind and condemns all types of violence.”