Germany / Local Court Duisburg / 81 Ds 78/16
Country
Germany
Year
Decision/ruling/judgment date
Incident(s) concerned/related
Related Bias motivation
Groups affected
Court/Body type
Court/Body
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."