Last week the office of non-profit organization puntCAT, which is Catalonia’s ccTLD .CAT registry, were conducted in Barcelona last week. According to media reports, Guardia Civil (one of the departments of the Spanish police) took all computer equipment. Also the head of IT at puntCAT Pep Masoliver was arrested. These events were the consequence of increasing tension between Catalonia and Spanish government.
As you know, Catalonia is supposed to have a referendum on October 1st on the topic of separation from Spain and independence. Significant part of Catalans strongly supports this idea; however, the Spanish government is strongly opposed. Spanish highest constitutional court has already declared the referendum illegal, now the force measures are being used. In particular, during the “visit” to the puntCAT’s office, law enforcement demanded the registry to block all domain names related to the referendum. Pep Masoliver has been arrested for sedition.
Registry puntCAT has already addressed ICANN with a complaint on Spanish government. It sees censorship and suppression of the freedom of speech in the actions of the Spanish government’s forces, Domain Incite reports. In the statement published on social networks and the website of the registry, searches in the office and the arrest of Pep Masoliver are called “shameful and degrading, unworthy of a civilized country”.
