Andorra's Prosecutor's Office closes ‘Mein Kampf’ case as police apologise and return confiscated books

Andorran Police returned copies of Adolf Hitler's ‘Mein Kampf’ on Tuesday after the books had been confiscated from a bookshop in Escaldes-Engordany.

The books were returned after Andorra's Prosecutor's Office decided to close the case, with senior police officials also apologising for the way the operation had been carried out.

The director of the Andorran Police personally called the bookshop owner to apologise for the actions of one of his officers. Two police officers subsequently visited the shop to return the confiscated copies.

The decision brings the confiscation incident to a close, following controversy over freedom of expression and the sale of historical works associated with Nazism.

Bookshop owner rules out filing a complaint against police

Despite the disruption caused by the operation, the bookshop owner has ruled out filing a formal complaint against the police.

However, the business intends to submit a written account of the incident to the police. The two employees who were present during the intervention will be responsible for preparing the statement.

According to the owner, the plainclothes officer who initially alerted colleagues to the sale of the books has not contacted the shop since the incident.

By contrast, the owner praised the courteous behaviour of the two officers who returned the books on Tuesday afternoon.

Although she described the experience as "very distressing", she considers it an isolated incident and welcomed the apology from police management.

Confiscation sparks debate over freedom of expression

The police intervention had prompted criticism within Andorra's cultural sector, particularly over the precedent that could be set by removing literary or historical works because of their ideological content.

Critics stressed the importance of distinguishing between selling a historical book and promoting or spreading the ideology expressed in its pages.

The controversy also reached the Andorran Government. Earlier on Tuesday, Culture Minister Mònica Bonell defended the decision to keep ‘Mein Kampf’ in the National Library's catalogue, where it is held in a restricted collection and can be consulted upon request.

Bonell emphasised that Andorra is a country governed by the rule of law, where freedom of expression must be respected, while also stating that the authorities should await a judicial determination regarding the police intervention.