A Belgian national risks jail time and a heavy fine for hosting a party in his Ibiza villa with at least 18 people of different nationalities amid Spain's coronavirus lockdown.
Spanish authorities detained the unidentified Belgian man on Sunday after his neighbours alerted the local police about the party.
The gathering, for which the host hired a DJ and a catering company, took place on the day in which Spain allowed children under the age of 14 to come outside for the first time since the imposition of the nationwide lockdown, among the strictest in Europe.
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Upon arrival at the property in Ibiza's Can Jordi area, police and the National Guard found 15 cars parked in front of the villa.
According to local media, among the guests figured nationals of Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Algeria, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Italy and the United States.
The guests reportedly attempted to deceive police, telling they all lived in the villa but were not able to present their passports when asked.
They received a fine for violating national orders of confinement amid Spain's nationwide state of alarm due to coronavirus pandemic, which has killed nearly 24,000 people in the country.
A video shared by police of the intervention shows several guests in the villa's pool area and one police officer asking them in English whether they know about the situation in Spain and whether they know that "this is not allowed."
The Belgian man was taken into temporary custody before being provisionally released. He will be brought before a judge to respond to accusations of disobedience, for which he risks up to a year in prison and a fine.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
