Spanish royal cartoon banned

Freedom of speech has been under threat in many EU countries despite it being supposedly guaranteed under law. In many countries, 'holocaust denial' is a crime punishable by years in jail. Of course, the truth is perfectly capable of standing up for itself but it seems there are some things that countries with a guilty past just cannot face being discussed.

Now the Spanish have stepped up the assault on liberal democracy and free speech with a dictatorship-era act against the publisher of a political cartoon portraying a Spanish prince. It's ironic given that Europe proudly trumpeted its free speech credentials when cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed were published in Denmark.

So Europeans should beware. You can insult a major world religion with impunity, but if you dare insult a royal family in similar fashion or question the legally-mandated view of world history, a prison cell beckons.

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