tardigrade

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7691349

TL;DR: The dispute allows Pedro Sanchez to frame himself as defending democratic values and distract from weakening support of the more left-wing partners in his ruling coalition, as well as from the fact that he is seeking to strengthen ties with China in opposition of his EU partners.

TL;DR: The dispute allows Pedro Sanchez to frame himself as defending democratic values and distract from weakening support of the more left-wing partners in his ruling coalition, as well as from the fact that he is seeking to strengthen ties with China in opposition of his EU partners.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7654442

...

The Iranian regime executes women and homosexuals, finances global terrorism, and has breached its obligations under nuclear non-proliferation agreements.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued two resolutions condemning Iran, stating that cooperation from the Iranian regime is non-existent and that it is impossible to verify that the nuclear programme has exclusively peaceful purposes.

...

The Iranian regime has been, for decades, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism through the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and its Quds Force.

Terrorist actions promoted by the Iranian regime in recent years extend from Argentina to Bahrain, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Syria.

...

In recent weeks, the regime's campaign of repression has caused, according to independent medical organisations, the deaths of more than 32,000 Iranians, in addition to the detention, torture, and execution of dissidents and their families, the blocking of the internet, and the suppression of any independent information.

...

Part of the left selectively appeals to "international law" and the UN Charter, using them as a moral alibi to avoid assuming the political cost of confronting regimes like Iran's.

That reading systematically ignores the regime's own prior actions, from financing terrorist groups to direct attacks with drones and missiles.

Have they not noticed how they only remember international law and human rights when doing so allows totalitarian dictatorships to remain in power?

Sánchez states, in a paternalistic tone, that "one can be against an odious regime like Iran's and against an unjustified attack," but his actions show otherwise.

...

Between 2018 and 2024, the government authorised millions in exports to Iran of "dual-use" material (civilian and military), according to official trade data.

...

Presenting the Islamic Republic as a passive actor that "has not attacked anyone" is an insult to intelligence

...

[Spain's PM Pedro] Sánchez's position consists of always being very tough on democracies and Western partners and very soft on terrorist dictatorships.

He only remembers international law and human rights when doing so allows him to perpetuate and whitewash dictatorships.

Sánchez has received congratulations from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Iranian regime, the Cuban dictatorship, the Chavista regime, and all the world's communist leaders. He has become the favourite leader of terrorists and totalitarians.

The position of the Spanish Government is neither neutral nor pacifist; it is a mixture of selective legalism and ideological calculation that leaves us worse positioned before our partners, weakens our security, and puts investment and economic growth at risk.

When an administration that has authorised sales of sensitive material to Iran claims a monopoly on "international law" to wash its hands of the response to that same regime, it is not on the right side of history but on the cowardly side of political marketing at the expense of national interest.

...

Archive

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7654442

...

The Iranian regime executes women and homosexuals, finances global terrorism, and has breached its obligations under nuclear non-proliferation agreements.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued two resolutions condemning Iran, stating that cooperation from the Iranian regime is non-existent and that it is impossible to verify that the nuclear programme has exclusively peaceful purposes.

...

The Iranian regime has been, for decades, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism through the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and its Quds Force.

Terrorist actions promoted by the Iranian regime in recent years extend from Argentina to Bahrain, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Syria.

...

In recent weeks, the regime's campaign of repression has caused, according to independent medical organisations, the deaths of more than 32,000 Iranians, in addition to the detention, torture, and execution of dissidents and their families, the blocking of the internet, and the suppression of any independent information.

...

Part of the left selectively appeals to "international law" and the UN Charter, using them as a moral alibi to avoid assuming the political cost of confronting regimes like Iran's.

That reading systematically ignores the regime's own prior actions, from financing terrorist groups to direct attacks with drones and missiles.

Have they not noticed how they only remember international law and human rights when doing so allows totalitarian dictatorships to remain in power?

Sánchez states, in a paternalistic tone, that "one can be against an odious regime like Iran's and against an unjustified attack," but his actions show otherwise.

...

Between 2018 and 2024, the government authorised millions in exports to Iran of "dual-use" material (civilian and military), according to official trade data.

...

Presenting the Islamic Republic as a passive actor that "has not attacked anyone" is an insult to intelligence

...

[Spain's PM Pedro] Sánchez's position consists of always being very tough on democracies and Western partners and very soft on terrorist dictatorships.

He only remembers international law and human rights when doing so allows him to perpetuate and whitewash dictatorships.

Sánchez has received congratulations from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Iranian regime, the Cuban dictatorship, the Chavista regime, and all the world's communist leaders. He has become the favourite leader of terrorists and totalitarians.

The position of the Spanish Government is neither neutral nor pacifist; it is a mixture of selective legalism and ideological calculation that leaves us worse positioned before our partners, weakens our security, and puts investment and economic growth at risk.

When an administration that has authorised sales of sensitive material to Iran claims a monopoly on "international law" to wash its hands of the response to that same regime, it is not on the right side of history but on the cowardly side of political marketing at the expense of national interest.

...

Archive

...

The Iranian regime executes women and homosexuals, finances global terrorism, and has breached its obligations under nuclear non-proliferation agreements.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued two resolutions condemning Iran, stating that cooperation from the Iranian regime is non-existent and that it is impossible to verify that the nuclear programme has exclusively peaceful purposes.

...

The Iranian regime has been, for decades, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism through the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and its Quds Force.

Terrorist actions promoted by the Iranian regime in recent years extend from Argentina to Bahrain, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Syria.

...

In recent weeks, the regime's campaign of repression has caused, according to independent medical organisations, the deaths of more than 32,000 Iranians, in addition to the detention, torture, and execution of dissidents and their families, the blocking of the internet, and the suppression of any independent information.

...

Part of the left selectively appeals to "international law" and the UN Charter, using them as a moral alibi to avoid assuming the political cost of confronting regimes like Iran's.

That reading systematically ignores the regime's own prior actions, from financing terrorist groups to direct attacks with drones and missiles.

Have they not noticed how they only remember international law and human rights when doing so allows totalitarian dictatorships to remain in power?

Sánchez states, in a paternalistic tone, that "one can be against an odious regime like Iran's and against an unjustified attack," but his actions show otherwise.

...

Between 2018 and 2024, the government authorised millions in exports to Iran of "dual-use" material (civilian and military), according to official trade data.

...

Presenting the Islamic Republic as a passive actor that "has not attacked anyone" is an insult to intelligence

...

[Spain's PM Pedro] Sánchez's position consists of always being very tough on democracies and Western partners and very soft on terrorist dictatorships.

He only remembers international law and human rights when doing so allows him to perpetuate and whitewash dictatorships.

Sánchez has received congratulations from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Iranian regime, the Cuban dictatorship, the Chavista regime, and all the world's communist leaders. He has become the favourite leader of terrorists and totalitarians.

The position of the Spanish Government is neither neutral nor pacifist; it is a mixture of selective legalism and ideological calculation that leaves us worse positioned before our partners, weakens our security, and puts investment and economic growth at risk.

When an administration that has authorised sales of sensitive material to Iran claims a monopoly on "international law" to wash its hands of the response to that same regime, it is not on the right side of history but on the cowardly side of political marketing at the expense of national interest.

...

Archive

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7315022

In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a Spanish court has labeled VPN services as "technological intermediaries," ordering them to actively block IP addresses that host illegal LaLiga matches. The "dynamic" injunction compels NordVPN and ProtonVPN to intervene, similar to local ISPs. But with both companies operating outside EU jurisdiction with privacy-centric business models, it remains unclear if and how the order will actually be enforced.

Archive

In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a Spanish court has labeled VPN services as "technological intermediaries," ordering them to actively block IP addresses that host illegal LaLiga matches. The "dynamic" injunction compels NordVPN and ProtonVPN to intervene, similar to local ISPs. But with both companies operating outside EU jurisdiction with privacy-centric business models, it remains unclear if and how the order will actually be enforced.

Archive

Spain’s leftist government, which has

championed the fight against gender-based violence, grappled with another sex scandal on Feb 18 after a police chief it appointed resigned, accused of raping a woman colleague.

The latest setback lengthens a string of sexual harassment scandals that have embarrassed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s ruling Socialists, while ongoing corruption investigations have threatened to topple his minority coalition.

Jose Angel Gonzalez, the second most senior police officer who was appointed in 2018, quit on Feb 17 after Spanish media reported a junior woman colleague had filed a complaint against him in January for an alleged rape in April 2025.

A judge has summoned him as part of the investigation, they added.

...

Spain has fallen for the fifth consecutive year in the corruption perception index compiled by international experts, down one point from 2024 (from a score of 56 to 55 in the world ranking) and once again placing it below countries such as Rwanda (58) and Saudi Arabia (57), which are authoritarian regimes.

According to Transparency International, which presented its annual report for 2025 in Madrid on Tuesday, Spain has been one of the European countries where the perception of corruption has grown the most, along with Bulgaria, in a turbulent year for the PSOE and the government due to the Koldo case, which has led to the imprisonment of, among others, former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos and his former adviser Koldo García, as well as the former secretary of organisation of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán, who has been released pending trial.

...

Another finding highlighted by the analysis is that among the countries that have improved the most in terms of the perception of corruption since 2012 are Greece (up 14 points to 50) and the Czech Republic (up 10 points to 59). In contrast, Spain is among the countries that have fallen the most since 2012, down a total of ten points to its current score of 55, along with Malta, which has fallen eight points to 49.

One case that experts highlight is that of the United Kingdom (70), which has fallen 12 places since 2017. Also noteworthy are the efforts made over the last decade by Estonia (76), Latvia (60) and Lithuania (65) and their commitment to opening up government and undertaking anti-corruption reforms, although they warn that gaps remain, particularly with regard to the transparency of lobbies, the protection of whistleblowers and clarity in party financing.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7150963

Archive link

As British police launch a criminal investigation into Lord Peter Mandelson for allegedly leaking market-sensitive government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during the 2008-2010 financial crisis, a comprehensive review of newly released documents from the same period reveals a potentially deeper concern: Epstein’s systematic efforts to forge ties between Beijing’s Communist Party elite and British politicians and financiers.

...

Material already publicly disclosed under the Epstein Transparency Act reveals the Mandelson-Epstein communications as a striking echo of an existing China business influence scandal involving Epstein and JP Morgan Chase executive Jes Staley.

Together, they suggest Epstein was encouraging—if not orchestrating—a strategy to position former British officials as bridges to China’s Communist Party elite, raising questions about whether both the current Starmer government and the prior Gordon Brown government were exposed to compromised advice on China policy.

...

In an email to Jeffrey Epstein dated April 16, 2011, Mandelson wrote:

“I appreciate your advice. But I am starting in political world, moving to financial. Learning. Making contacts. Establishing new credentials and a business platform. Some Chinese want deals (should be able to offer that in due course). Some have deals already but need hand holding. Some want to put money into funds. CICC retain us cos think we have something to offer Chinese. Henry K says we also need to become go-betweens for those with commercial disputes.”

“Henry K” appears to refer to Henry Kissinger, the former US Secretary of State widely regarded as perhaps the most influential Western leader of the past half-century in forging elite ties between Washington and Beijing.

The "CICC" reference is to China International Capital Corporation, a Beijing-based investment bank with close ties to the Chinese government and state-owned enterprises — effectively, in China's party-state system, a massive foreign investment bridge that comes under Chinese Communist Party guidance.

...

Archive link

As British police launch a criminal investigation into Lord Peter Mandelson for allegedly leaking market-sensitive government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during the 2008-2010 financial crisis, a comprehensive review of newly released documents from the same period reveals a potentially deeper concern: Epstein’s systematic efforts to forge ties between Beijing’s Communist Party elite and British politicians and financiers.

...

Material already publicly disclosed under the Epstein Transparency Act reveals the Mandelson-Epstein communications as a striking echo of an existing China business influence scandal involving Epstein and JP Morgan Chase executive Jes Staley.

Together, they suggest Epstein was encouraging—if not orchestrating—a strategy to position former British officials as bridges to China’s Communist Party elite, raising questions about whether both the current Starmer government and the prior Gordon Brown government were exposed to compromised advice on China policy.

...

In an email to Jeffrey Epstein dated April 16, 2011, Mandelson wrote:

“I appreciate your advice. But I am starting in political world, moving to financial. Learning. Making contacts. Establishing new credentials and a business platform. Some Chinese want deals (should be able to offer that in due course). Some have deals already but need hand holding. Some want to put money into funds. CICC retain us cos think we have something to offer Chinese. Henry K says we also need to become go-betweens for those with commercial disputes.”

“Henry K” appears to refer to Henry Kissinger, the former US Secretary of State widely regarded as perhaps the most influential Western leader of the past half-century in forging elite ties between Washington and Beijing.

The "CICC" reference is to China International Capital Corporation, a Beijing-based investment bank with close ties to the Chinese government and state-owned enterprises — effectively, in China's party-state system, a massive foreign investment bridge that comes under Chinese Communist Party guidance.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7149414

Archive link

Spain’s diplomatic corps and foreign affairs journalists have raised alarm over what they describe as a sharp institutional decline at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since the arrival of José Manuel Albares, citing growing restrictions on press access and increasingly centralised decision-making.

On Monday, Madrid’s Press Association condemned what it described as “pressure” from senior foreign ministry officials – including journalist “vetoes” and the informal labelling of media outlets as “friendly” or “hostile”.

The controversy flared last week when a journalist noted at a press conference that Albares had not held a standalone presser for eight months. Days later, El Confidencial Digital reported that the minister had sought to bar her from the ministry – a move later conveyed to her employer by his spokesperson.

The episode sparked outrage among Spain’s foreign affairs press corps, which accuses Albares of undermining press freedom since taking office in 2021.

...

Concerns extend beyond the media. Alberto Virella, president of the Association of Spanish Diplomats (ADE) and a former ambassador to Senegal, told Euractiv that the opacity mirrors deeper problems within the ministry itself.

“The ministry’s communication policy is anomalous,” Virella said, noting that ambassadors – and diplomats more broadly – are discouraged from speaking to the press for fear of reprimand.

He added that appointment procedures have also become less transparent, with postings no longer clearly based on seniority but on criteria “known only to the minister”.

“These conditions favour arbitrariness and cronyism,” Virella said, warning that they weaken Spain’s diplomatic effectiveness.