German News Editor Convicted For Satirical Photo Montage Of Far-Left Interior Minister, Given 7-Month Probation

In a sign of deteriorating levels of freedom of speech and attacks on the press, a German court has slapped the editor-in-chief of Deutschland Kurier, David Bendels, with seven months probation, according to the newspaper.

The Bamberg District Court found that a satirical photo montage about Federal Minister Nancy Faeser to be an instance of “defamation against political figures,” under Paragraph 188 of the German Criminal Code (StGB).

The photomontage was shared in Bendel’s newspaper, and she is seen holding up a sign that reads: 

“I hate freedom of expression.” 

The satirical creation was based on a real photo of Faeser where she was holding a “We Remember” sign to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Politicians are also chiming in with their opinion on the verdict. AfD MP Beatrix von Storch write on X: “I believe that one MUST be able to believe that Ms. Faeser hates freedom of speech. And if she reports something like that and then gets sentenced to seven months in prison, it’s no longer an opinion. It’s apparently a verified fact.”

One of Faeser’s most controversial statements during her term of interior minister was: “Those who mock the state must be dealt with by a strong state.” It appears with this verdict, she is sending exactly that message.

Faeser actually filed the criminal complaint herself, which is part of a general trend of German politicians filing criminal complaints against citizens for “insults” and “memes.”

The conviction is especially shocking in terms of how satire is produced in Germany, with satirical magazine Titanik filling every issue with harsh and offensive content mocking politicians, especially those from the right. Late-night hosts like Jan Böhmermann are equally harsh towards the right, yet suffer no such consequences. The Cologne Carnival also features incredibly offensive floats, including those targeting AfD’s Alice Weidel.

The editor, Bendel, says that he and his newspaper, Deutschland Kurier, “will not accept this verdict” and will “fight it with all legal means at their disposal.”

He said they will “continue the just fight for freedom of the press and freedom of expression, which is indispensable for the continued existence of democracy in Germany, with determination, stability and the utmost consistency.

Last year, the Bamberg District Court issued three ruling against Bendels, including for the Faeser picture. In total, he received fines that he must pay over the course of 480 days for three separate cases. He is now ordered to also apologize to Faeser. He has appealed all of the verdicts.

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