Probing into the matter. - Hate postings prompt investigations in Hesse.
Hessian authorities have carried out multiple searches against those accused of spreading hate and incitement on the internet. A total of 16 individuals - three females and 13 males - aged between 18 and 76 were targeted in the early hours of Thursday, according to the General Prosecutor's Office Frankfurt and the Hessian Criminal Investigation Department (HLKA). Raids took place in areas such as Eschborn, Frankfurt am Main, Hanau, Kassel, Langen, Schauenburg, and Wächtersbach.
Investigations are focusing on these individuals for their use of symbols representing unconstitutional and terrorist organizations, incitement, endorsement of crimes, and defamation.
A large majority of the investigations have been driven by hateful postings targeting the accused, which were initially reported through the "HESSENGEGENHETZE" reporting point, which has been operational since 2020.
Nationwide efforts
Authorities across Germany took part in a coordinated action day against hate speech on Thursday. Approximately 70 homes were searched, and several individuals were interrogated, reported the Federal Criminal Police Office. In total, more than 130 police measures were carried out in all German states, according to the agency's spokesperson.
Approximately one-third of the investigated crimes were politically motivated, though they could not be clearly attributed to any single political direction. Some of the criminal postings contained hateful content and propaganda offenses like the use of swastikas or other Nazi symbols. Anti-Semitic statements about the Middle East conflict, including the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," were also uncovered. This sentence is understood to call for the destruction of Israel, its inhabitants' expulsion, and extermination of the Jewish population.
