Isabel Alfaro, president of the National Federation of Immigrant Refugee Associations in Spain, faces a fine of €4,050 for defaming police. She referred to the death of Abdoulie Bah, a 19-year-old Gambian shot by police in 2025 near Gran Canaria Airport, as a “murder.”
On Thursday, Alfaro appeared before the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Provincial Court, responding to charges of serious defamation brought by both the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Spanish Police Confederation.
During a meeting of the African Associations Federation in the Canary Islands just before a protest on 22 May, Alfaro allegedly stated that Bah had been “murdered” five days prior, urging attendees to highlight this on a banner. Her comments went viral when someone recorded the assembly and posted it online.
Alfaro explained to the court that her remarks stemmed from grief over Bah’s death, as she had cared for him like a son and often invited him to meals with other friends.
Prosecution claims that Bah had threatened a taxi driver with a knife before police officers shot him to prevent an imminent danger, with witnesses reporting that he caused panic inside the airport. He had fled the airport toward a bus stop, at which point he concealed the knife in his trousers.
As videos of the assembly were played in court, Alfaro reiterated that she learned of Bah’s death after her nursing shift and that she did not intend to harm the police’s reputation. She argued her goal was to ensure that the death of someone she regarded as “a good boy who was not aggressive” did not go unpunished.
The prosecutor countered that her accusation of murder is unfounded, given that the deceased had been arrested three days prior for assaulting a police officer. The prosecutor stated that the officers involved felt their lives were in danger and later required psychological help due to the incident.
The prosecutor claimed Alfaro’s statements exceeded the bounds of free speech, representing a criminal accusation, while her defence attorney requested her acquittal.
In her closing remarks, Alfaro apologised to the police, asserting that she did not intend to upset or hurt them. Her lawyer asked that, if convicted, the court consider her financial situation, highlighting that she has been working as a temporary nurse in the Canary Islands for 17 years.
