Spanish court lifts ban on book about drug trafficking

MADRID – A Madrid court has lifted a ban on the sale of a book that investigates drug trafficking in Spain, saying that it comes within laws on the right to inform.

The 2015 book “Farina” (“Flour” — a slang term for cocaine) was temporarily taken off shelves last March after a Spanish politician mentioned in the work asked a court for references to him to be removed.

The court ruled Friday on that challenge, finding that the book by the journalist Nacho Carretero was the result of “an in-depth investigation” and contained information that was “trustworthy and truthful.”

The ban had fueled a wider legal and political dispute over freedom of expression in Spain.