The signatories of the manifesto reject the accusation of terrorism and warn of the growing peril of exploiting such charges to discredit political dissidents and social movements

Nobel Peace Prize winners Jody Williams (1997), Alfonso Pérez Esquivel (1980) and Najet Zammouri (2015), have signed a manifesto in support of Ruben Wagensberg, who is facing indictment of terrorism within the broader case of the Tsunami Democratic protests, in which they warn that political exploitation of the charge of terrorism is on the rise worldwide with the aim of repressing social movements and political dissidents.

The manifesto, which emphasizes that Mr Wagensberg's career in the field of pacifist activism and in defence of human rights is at odds with the charges he is now facing, has also been signed by dozens of personalities, as well as by victims of terrorism of the Islamic State, who consider that this accusation trivializes terrorism: “We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, affirm our recognition of Ruben Wagensberg’s contributions to promoting a culture of peace and defending human rights. We vehemently reject any accusations of terrorism leveled against him.”

The pronouncement adds to prior public reactions to the accusations of terrorism in the context of the case of the Tsunami Democratic protests from various organizations such as Amnesty International or the World Organization Against Torture, among others.

Ruben Wagensberg, is a pacifist activist recognized for his work in defending human rights and as the promoter of the “Casa nostra, casa vostra” (Our house, your house) and “Volem acollir” (We want to welcome) campaigns, has been a Member of Catalonia’s Parliament for Esquerra Republicana since 2017 and the fourth secretary of the Parliament bureau since 2021. He has been in exile in Geneva since December 2023 because of the judicial pressure of the Tsunami Democratic case.
Read the manifesto here.