German politicians targeted in online hate speech cases
A court in Hanover, Germany, has imposed fines on two individuals for defaming high-profile politicians on social media. The court announced the verdict on Friday, stating that a 70-year-old man from Langenhagen must pay a total of €1,650 in fines. The man had posted insults and calls to violence against Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Facebook, the court found.
The defendant had commented on an article about Scholz, saying that people should “beat him until the memory sets in” and in another post, he wrote that the “corrupt piece of trash” should be beaten through the city “until the haughty grin fades away.” The man had admitted to the acts and expressed regret, the court said.
The verdict was handed down on November 18.
In another case, a 28-year-old woman from Hanover was fined €600 for posting a video on Instagram in which she referred to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as “Terrorist Bärbock.” She also shared images of Western politicians with fake black mustaches and the caption “Kids Killers Union” apparently criticizing the Israeli military’s actions in the Gaza Strip.
According to the court, Baerbock had filed a criminal complaint against the woman. The Chancellor’s office did not file a complaint, but did not object to the prosecution either. Both verdicts have been appealed, the court said.