An investigating court on duty in Bilbao on 31 October 2026 provisionally released the 20-year-old accused, who, according to the Policía Nacional is alleged to have managed the Instagram page Blocus Bilbao allegedly, has been released provisionally without bail. The decision applies for the duration of the investigation. According to the court, conditions have been imposed; the court did not initially provide details. Pre-trial detention was not ordered.
The Ministerio del Interior said that calls had been circulated from the account in question to cause disturbances in central Bilbao on 31 October. Police reports also state that shopping districts had been marked as potential targets and that instructions for making explosive devices and Molotov cocktails had circulated in associated channels. Police cite possible offences of inciting public disorder, criminal damage and membership of an organised group. This information comes from a statement by the Ministry of the Interior and is provisional, according to the current state of the investigation.
The court justified the release by reference to the current evidence and the precautionary measures imposed. The accused must comply with court summonses. No final assessment of the allegations has been made; the presumption of innocence applies. Statements from the defence or prosecution were not fully available by the editorial deadline or were not reproduced in the reports reviewed.
The case is linked to a nationwide operation targeting alleged instigators of calls circulating under the slogan Blocus. According to police, arrests were made in several regions of Spain in the days before 31 October, including in the province of Valencia. In Bilbao and other cities, traders and security authorities took precautionary measures; according to local reports, shop windows were reinforced with protective panels and police presence was temporarily increased. No specific reports of damage in Bilbao had been received by Saturday lunchtime.
The investigation in Bilbao is being conducted by the Policía Nacional and is continuing under judicial supervision. Further measures will be decided once additional information has been received. The matter mainly concerns the Basque Country; however, because of its cross-regional links, the Ministry of the Interior continues to monitor developments nationwide.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).