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German court acquits satirist over social media post following Trump assassination attempt
GERMANY, JUL 23 – A German court ruled that El Hotzo's social media post about Donald Trump did not constitute a punishable offense under satire protections.
- A German court in Berlin acquitted comedian Sebastian Hotz on Wednesday of charges related to a satirical social media post after last July's attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
- Under his pseudonym El Hotzo, Hotz posted a now-deleted message likening Trump to "the last bus," which prosecutors claimed amounted to hate speech and could incite public disorder.
- Judge Andrea Wilms ruled Hotz's post was clearly satire, possibly in bad taste, with no intent to incite violence, while the German Journalists' Association called the prosecution excessive and urged the case's closure.
- Prosecutors sought a 6,000-euro fine for Hotz, amid debate over freedom of expression since politicians had faced increasing physical attacks during the election period.
- The ruling supports generous interpretation of satirical freedom and suggests such posts should not be legally punished despite provoking heated discussions and some public broadcaster severing ties with Hotz.
46 Articles
46 Articles
The ridicule of Donald Trump's assassination attempt cannot be criminally punished, the German courts have ruled.
Sebastian "El Hotzo" Hotz had to answer to court for the charge of "rewarding and approving crimes". Now he was acquitted.
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Can one condemn the word artist Sebastian Hotz in court because his satire-age ego "El Hotzo" Trump wanted to die on Twitter? A meeting around the trial in Berlin, where the project failed.
The comedian Sebastian Hotz had to answer to the court for two posts: After the assassination of Donald Trump, the prosecutor's office accused him of approving crimes. A Berlin court now judges that the posts were "criminal satire". The question remains: Was it at least a good joke?
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