Germany has been accused or violating the basic western values once again, since a news editor in Germany faces a Het fine and a seven -month prison sentence for publishing a meme that mocks “hate” or the freedom of expression of the government.
The Bamberg District Court in Baviera condemned Deutschland-Kurier The editor David Bendels this week in seven months in probation in probation and a fine of almost sixty percent of his annual income, or 210 ‘daily rates’, to publish an image on the social networks of the Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, with an altered sign.
The common meme tactics of changing words in heroes signs by politicians for satirical purposes was used to make Faeser’s sign said: “I hate freedom of expression.”
Bendels was initially convicted in November, and the ruling was confirmed on Monday, discovering that he had committed “defamation addressed to people in political life,” That Rontera Reported on Tuesday.
According to Bendels, it is the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany that a journalist has been threatened with prison for violating the statute.
He Kurier The editor also said that the Prosecutor’s Office was caused after Interior Minister Faeser personally filed a complaint against him.
Bendels said Monday that he plans to appeal the ruling, saying: “We will not accept this verdict and we will defend ourselves against him using all legal means.
“He Deutschland-Kurier And personally I will continue the fair struggle for the freedom of the press and freedom of expression, which is indispensable for the continuous examination in Germany, resolutely, stable and with all consistency. “
The ruling has also been criticized by opposition political figures, with the influential regional leader of the populist alternative for the Germany party (AFD) in Thuringia, Björn Höcke Saying: “German politicians, responsible for the deindustrialization of our country and travel to their citizens separated from the other, made Germany a laugh in the world.
“Freedom of expression is assembled and attack again and again, ending our constitutional democracy. We have been warned by Donald Trump and Elon Musk: the enemies of freedom are within the EU governments!”
In Germany, the fines are collected as ‘rates’, each rate of the equivalent of self -informed income of a day for the convict. 210 rates, therefore, would mean a payment of fine or more than half or the annual entrance of Bendels.
In comparison, the analysis of the Justice Center for Fines and Rates (FFJC) found that in 2018, 49 percent of the fines raised in Germany were 31 and 90 rates, which means that the fine against Bendels for publishing a meme was much higher than the average.
In December, he explained to the European conservative In general, people in Germany are consulted with prison sentences or about 90 days to have a criminal record and, therefore, their sentence would be an effective representation as a “snout” against him as a journalist.
“If we do not stop this disastrous development, the trip will one day will end in a wokeness dictatorship on the left.
