Overview

• The 77-year-old defendant was convicted on June 15, 2025, for verbally attacking a Syrian doctor who asked him to don a mandatory mask at a Pobla de Farnals health centre
• The Audiencia Provincial de Valencia found the refusal to wear a mask was driven by racist intent and violated fundamental rights and public freedoms
• He received six months in prison, a six-month daily fine of 10 euros, and special ineligibility for educational professions for three years and six months
• The court ordered 1,000 euros in moral damages after deeming the doctor’s testimony and supporting witness accounts fully credible
• The health centre was under strict mask rules due to COVID-19 safety protocols and the vulnerability of patients with chronic respiratory illnesses