Germany Prosecutes Elderly Individual for Distributing Meme
A Bavarian man is being charged with a hate crime for retweeting a meme that referred to Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Green Party as an idiot. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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A Bavarian man's residence was raided after he retweeted an image labeling Economy Minister Robert Habeck as an “idiot.”
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has initiated legal action against a 64-year-old Bavarian man for sharing a meme that referred to him in derogatory terms.
In June, Stefan Niehoff posted a meme that depicted Habeck alongside an altered logo of a well-known shampoo brand, changing it from Schwarzkopf to Schwachkopf. Early on Tuesday morning, police conducted a raid at his home in Lower Franconia, seizing his tablet.
Prosecutors in Bamberg informed the German news agency dpa that Habeck’s legal team had filed a criminal complaint against Niehoff. Additionally, they stated that he is facing charges for uploading an image to the social media platform X that “referenced the Nazi era.”
Documents obtained by the outlet Nius revealed that the court’s search warrant permitted the seizure of all of Niehoff’s mobile phones, internet-connected devices, and digital storage media.
“I am 64 years old. I never imagined that it would come to this. This definitely has a GDR flavor,” Niehoff remarked to Nius, alluding to the former East Germany.
Niehoff recounted that officers from the Schweinfurt Criminal Investigation Department arrived at his residence shortly after 6 AM, pulled him from his bed for questioning, and confiscated his tablet, causing distress to his daughter, who has Down syndrome.
The Bamberg prosecutors categorized Niehoff’s alleged actions as a “politically motivated right-wing crime.” They asserted that he “published an image” of the minister “to generally defame Robert Habeck and to make it more difficult for him to carry out his work as a member of the federal government.”
The raid on Niehoff’s home was part of a nationwide “day of action against hate postings,” during which German police executed searches at 50 homes and initiated 90 investigations, according to Nius.
“When police are at the door, every perpetrator realizes that hate crimes have consequences,” wrote Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on X, promoting the operations.
In response, the opposition Alternative for Germany party shared the meme on X, accusing Habeck of being a tyrant in disguise.
“Während sich #Habeck als 'volksnaher' Kanzlerkandidat präsentiert, werden seine Kritiker unerbittlich verfolgt. Dabei schreckt man nicht davor zurück, Hausdurchsuchungen bei schlafenden Familien durchzuführen, nur weil der Familienvater diese #Schwachkopf-Grafik teilte. Das ist…”
“This is what would happen to Germany under a Chancellor Habeck: the complete restriction of freedom of expression by a children’s book author who displayed maximum incompetence for three and a half years, but still feels called to greater things,” the AfD added.
Another individual in Germany posted a mash-up featuring the Greens' campaign slogan combined with an image of police breaking down a door.
“Erste Wahlkampfplakate geleakt #Schwachkopf”
Habeck's Greens are part of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s dwindling “traffic light coalition,” which secured just 15% of the vote in the most recent election. Their most prominent cabinet official alongside Habeck is Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
Last week, in a video announcing his candidacy for chancellor in the upcoming election, Habeck condemned the “fungus of populism” he claims is spreading in Germany, fueled by “authoritarian regimes with troll armies and bots.”
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has initiated legal action against a 64-year-old Bavarian man for sharing a meme that referred to him in derogatory terms.
In June, Stefan Niehoff posted a meme that depicted Habeck alongside an altered logo of a well-known shampoo brand, changing it from Schwarzkopf to Schwachkopf. Early on Tuesday morning, police conducted a raid at his home in Lower Franconia, seizing his tablet.
Prosecutors in Bamberg informed the German news agency dpa that Habeck’s legal team had filed a criminal complaint against Niehoff. Additionally, they stated that he is facing charges for uploading an image to the social media platform X that “referenced the Nazi era.”
Documents obtained by the outlet Nius revealed that the court’s search warrant permitted the seizure of all of Niehoff’s mobile phones, internet-connected devices, and digital storage media.
“I am 64 years old. I never imagined that it would come to this. This definitely has a GDR flavor,” Niehoff remarked to Nius, alluding to the former East Germany.
Niehoff recounted that officers from the Schweinfurt Criminal Investigation Department arrived at his residence shortly after 6 AM, pulled him from his bed for questioning, and confiscated his tablet, causing distress to his daughter, who has Down syndrome.
The Bamberg prosecutors categorized Niehoff’s alleged actions as a “politically motivated right-wing crime.” They asserted that he “published an image” of the minister “to generally defame Robert Habeck and to make it more difficult for him to carry out his work as a member of the federal government.”
The raid on Niehoff’s home was part of a nationwide “day of action against hate postings,” during which German police executed searches at 50 homes and initiated 90 investigations, according to Nius.
“When police are at the door, every perpetrator realizes that hate crimes have consequences,” wrote Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on X, promoting the operations.
In response, the opposition Alternative for Germany party shared the meme on X, accusing Habeck of being a tyrant in disguise.
“Während sich #Habeck als 'volksnaher' Kanzlerkandidat präsentiert, werden seine Kritiker unerbittlich verfolgt. Dabei schreckt man nicht davor zurück, Hausdurchsuchungen bei schlafenden Familien durchzuführen, nur weil der Familienvater diese #Schwachkopf-Grafik teilte. Das ist…”
“This is what would happen to Germany under a Chancellor Habeck: the complete restriction of freedom of expression by a children’s book author who displayed maximum incompetence for three and a half years, but still feels called to greater things,” the AfD added.
Another individual in Germany posted a mash-up featuring the Greens' campaign slogan combined with an image of police breaking down a door.
“Erste Wahlkampfplakate geleakt #Schwachkopf”
Habeck's Greens are part of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s dwindling “traffic light coalition,” which secured just 15% of the vote in the most recent election. Their most prominent cabinet official alongside Habeck is Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
Last week, in a video announcing his candidacy for chancellor in the upcoming election, Habeck condemned the “fungus of populism” he claims is spreading in Germany, fueled by “authoritarian regimes with troll armies and bots.”
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
