Spanish judge drops investigation into 'terror-praising' puppet show

A sign was used in the show that said: 'Long Live Alka ETA'

(File Photo) Praising terrorism is illegal in Spain (Getty Images)

A Spanish National Court judge had shelved an investigation into two puppeteers for allegedly praising terrorist groups in a theatre show.

Praising terrorism has been a crime in Spain since 1995.

The judge said there was insufficient evidence that the puppeteers committed an offence by using a sign during their performance that said: "Long Live Alka ETA".

The message is wordplay referencing the Basque separatist group ETA and al-Qaeda.

The show on 5 February was commissioned for Madrid's Carnival celebrations and portrayed the hanging of a judge in effigy and police beatings.

The two puppeteers, working for "Títeres Desde Abajo" (Puppets from Below) have denied the allegations, saying their show was satirical.

A Facebook post published by the company before the show said: “We wanted to investigate the possibilities of the popular tradition of puppeteering to tell what you feel as urgent.

“Throughout the show, and under different faces, Don Cristóbal will try to crush a witch, but the nature of this takes her to love his freedom above all and not to be trampled by anyone.”

In an attempt to make the Basque region on the Spanish/French border independent, ETA is recorded as having killed 829 people and injuring thousands of others between 1968 and 2011.