Höcke attempts to challenge his SA slogan conviction.
Thuringian AfD leader, Björn Höcke, was sentenced to a hefty fine for using a banned Nazi slogan during an election campaign speech. His legal team has applied for an appeal, taking the case to the Federal Court of Justice.
In response to the verdict against Björn Höcke for using a forbidden Nazi slogan, his defense lawyer, Philip Müller, filed an appeal on Wednesday. A representative from the regional court in Halle confirmed this news.
The regional court in Halle passed its judgment on Tuesday, imposing a €13,000 fine on Höcke. The court found him guilty of using symbols belonging to unconstitutional organizations. The slogan "Alles für Deutschland" (Everything for Germany) from the infamous Sturmabteilung (SA) of the National Socialist NSDAP was allegedly used during an election campaign speech in Merseburg three years ago.
Presiding judge Jan Stengel, at the sentencing, described Höcke as a "speech-gifted, intellectually astute" individual who had studied history. Despite this, he knew the implications of his words and intentionally decided to use the banned term. Additionally, Höcke had condoned the dissemination of his speech at the election campaign event. These factors contributed to the conviction.
Höcke vehemently denied his knowledge of the slogan's provenance, while repeatedly calling it an "everyday saying" or "banality." The public prosecutor's office, seeking a suspended sentence and a €10,000 fine for the politician, is also considering filing an appeal. The final verdict has yet to be pronounced.
The BGH, or Federal Court of Justice, will handle the appeal. This court only looks out for legal errors in judgments and, if needed, passes the cases back to the lower court for a re-trial. Höcke stands as the AfD's lead candidate in the upcoming Thuringian state elections on September 1. His Thuringian party has been recognized by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as having a confirmed right-wing extremist stance.
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- The Thuringian branch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), led by Björn Höcke, has a confirmed right-wing extremist stance, as recognized by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
- Björn Höcke, the AfD leader in Thuringia, is contesting his conviction for using a Nazi slogan, with an appeal being filed at the Federal Court of Justice (BGH).
- Right-wing extremism continues to be a problem in German politics, as demonstrated by the ongoing legal proceedings against Björn Höcke for his use of a banned Nazi slogan.
Source: www.ntv.de
