Interesting that a picture offensive to millions of Muslims was picked up and published all over Europe in the name of freedom, yet this one is banned in Spain.

Personally I don't think either should have been published. Neither are great art or make an important point, they're just offensive. Criticism is one thing, just being offensive is another.

I'm neither Spanish nor Muslim, before anyone asks.

Hmm, that cartoon could have been about Prince Edward and translated into Spanish. It looks exactly like how Gerald Scarfe would portray him...

Of course, there would be no point in searching for "Portada del jueves censurado y retirado por orden del juez Del Olmo" on Flickr.com

Of course the Spanish royal family enjoys a bit more loyalty than most because of the king's widely applauded role in restoring democracy after years of military dictatorship.

But surely the best way to reinforce this democracy would have been to NOT use the courts as a method of censorship?

Condemning the cartoon, saying it's offensive, that's fine, that's freedom of speech too, and it is clearly very offensive to the royals. But having a judge start taking a role in this, it's going too far.

Prince Edward? Looks more like Charles and Camilla to me (shudder).

I would have hoped that we in Europe were beyond this kind of censorship by now. This is very sad. Perhaps a constitution would help? Oh, hold on, I guess it's not doing much for the USA at the moment.

Living in a democracy with freedoms like the freedoms of expression means from time to time some people will be offended by what others say, deal with it.

The spanish king is despicted by the propaganda by the men who restored the democracy. but this is fault. Juan Carlos was the Franco's succesor and planned the coup d'etat in 1981. The spanish Estate of parties begun with the USA fear of the spanish comunist party during the Transicion. The spanish constitution grants the King with complete legal irresponsbility for his acts and the family is completly unacountable.

The spanish system needs censorship. El Jueves affair is nothing compared to the ban of jesus Quintero and Jose Maria Garcia Interview that you can watch in Youtube.

I agree with Matt's case. I remember when there was a large support for the extradition orders to allow British subjects to be extradited to the USA. When the convicted people in charge of a fraudulent company (the name escapes me) were to be extradited, the MPs were up in arms trying to change the law.

If you treat all people with the respect they deserve, then everyone gets along better. I am against insulting anyone's creed or race, although I remember all the European governments were going on about there should be free speech. In this case why are the same people who went on about free speech suddenly up in arms?

I'd post it outside my Spanish classroom

Ha Ha! , the judge has now immortalized the dreaded cartoon for the whole world wide Internet to view out of sheer curiosity!

For the quickest way to notoriety and bring it to the attention of all , is to basically ban or outlaw the item in question! , thus bringing it to the attention of a far wider audience , then if it had just been plain ignored , for it would have died a very short death for the low attention span of a wider audience!

As for the other problem , now that the cartoon has become immortalized ,thanks to the dumb judges self wanking decision and vain attempt to outlaw parody , it will continue to pop up everywhere , as it keeps getting reposted , in any language the user so chooses , even on YouTube!

The "Peter Principle" rocks on in the new 21st century!

I see references to the "Peter Principal" on ElReg all the time but I'm not sure most people actually understand what they are talking about. Tards.

People are already bidding over 50 euros for a copy of the now banned mag.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Revista-EL-JUEVES-20-jul-2007-Original-Precintada_W0QQitemZ270147613554QQihZ017QQcategoryZ21142QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

When you can't even seem to be able to distinguish between Principle/Principal - even the correct one is in the post directly above yours - I'd refrain from calling people tards if I were you.

"I see references to the "Peter Principal" on ElReg all the time but I'm not sure most people actually understand what they are talking about. Tards."

Since it's invariably heystoopid trying to crowbar the phrase into every comment he makes, can one surmise that in his case the level of competence is enough to provide him with a keyboard but not necessarily enough to equip him with the skills to use it?

My guess is that this judge is a key member of a republican conspiration to overthrow the king for good:

- Practically everybody watched the cartoon, even in Australia

- The royals are now mired in a Freedom of expression debate

As this is the judge that prossecuted the 11M terrorists, I'd rather think so than accepting one our top judges is an uber incompetent.

I cannot believe this, 30 years of democracy and we are back on the old times where you have to watch your mounth.

After years living abroad I can see that my country Spain, is becoming a big multinational where money is all that matters, we are less happy that we use to, eventhough we are aparently richer... and now this, I hope this is just a call to all the spanish to wake up and say what we want. Specially if it is a satiric comic book that just celebrate its 30th birthday like the Constitucion.

FREEDOM!

I think the cartoon is in rather bad taste, so I wouldn't buy the magazine. But banning it is going too far (for one thing, it backfires because everyone will try to see it :-) ).

I am not familiar with the Spanish royal family or Spanish public feelings about them, but if the cartoon has an element of truth in it (i.e. perhaps the prince does not work for a living) then it is a fair (but crude) potshot; if there isn't an element of truth to it, then it is just crude. Either way, in the context of the payout for making babies it is funny....

The cartoon is undeniably crude and in bad taste, but then the best jokes often are!

Legal decisions like this are assinine, the judge has just ensured the entire world will now find and see the cartoon.

However an appeal to the ECHR under Right to Freedom of Expression (Article 10) would probably be the way to go.