Germany / Local Court Duisburg / 81 Ds 78/16

Country

Germany

Title

Germany / Local Court Duisburg / 81 Ds 78/16

View full Case

Year

2016

Decision/ruling/judgment date

Friday, June 10, 2016

Incident(s) concerned/related

Incitement to violence or hatred

Related Bias motivation

Nationality

Groups affected

Refugees & asylum seekers

Court/Body type

National Court

Court/Body

Local Court (Amtsgericht)

Key facts of the case

The defendant published untrue claims that refugees had kidnapped and raped five German girls between the ages of eight to ten on his internet blog. He further published the untrue assertion that the school authority of Northrhine-Westphalia published an official warning related to the case.

Main reasoning/argumentation

The assertions published by the defendant may disturb public peace and incite hate against parts of the population, in this case against refugees. His assertions have been consciously made for this purpose, and he was fully aware that they were untrue. This constitutes sedition according to §130 Abs. 1 Criminal Law.

Is the case related to the application of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia, the Racial Equality Directive?

Key issues (concepts, interpretations) clarified by the case

Sedition; difference freedom of speech, untrue assertion of alleged facts, and sedition for hate against parts of the population endangering public peace.

Results (sanctions, outcome) and key consequences or implications of the case

Sentence to nine months prison, confiscation of the laptop. Sentence suspended.

Key quotation in original language and its unofficial translation into English with reference details

"Also considering the general context, his untrue assertion of facts intends not to contribute to the opinion formation protected by the constitution, but intents to propagate untrue facts for slurring refugees living in Germany and for inciting hate against refugees."

"Es handelt sich daher auch unter der Berücksichtigung des Gesamtkontextes lediglich um eine unwahre Tatsachenbehauptung, die nicht zu einer verfassungsrechtlich gewährleisteten Meinungsbildung beitragen kann und soll, sondern die einzig dazu dient falsche Tatsachen als wahre Fakten darzustellen, um die in Deutschland lebenden Flüchtlinge verächtlich zu machen und zum Hass gegen diese aufzustacheln."

DISCLAIMERThe information presented here is collected under contract by the FRA's research network FRANET. The information and views contained do not necessarily reflect the views or the official position of the FRA.