THE Communist Party of Spain called for international solidarity yesterday after rapper Pablo Hasel was imprisoned for lyrics insulting the country’s royal family.

Mr Hasel was sentenced to nine months in jail for glorifying terrorism and slandering the crown and state institutions in tweets and lyrics that attacked the monarchy and police, who he accused of torturing and killing demonstrators and migrants.

Police raided the University of Lleida, where he had barricaded himself in with supporters. He was taken away to nearby Ponent prison, shouting: “They will never silence us — death to the fascist state.”