Justice - Höcke's defense lawyers appeal against second verdict
The Thuringia AFD chief Bjoern Hocke accepts the latest judgment regarding the use of a prohibited Nazi slogan as well. Two of his defenders filed for revision, a spokesperson for the Halle District Court informed in response to an inquiry. On Monday, the court had sentenced Hocke to 130 days in prison, each day carrying a fine of 130 Euro, for using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. The politician had raised the slogan "Alles für Deutschland" (Everything for Germany) at an AfD gathering in the Thuringian Gera in December 2023. He spoke the first two words himself and allowed the audience to complete the phrase, according to the court's conviction. The 52-year-old denied this intention.
The slogan was once used by the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary combat organization of the Nazi Party NSDAP. Since Hocke had also used this slogan at a campaign event in Sachsen-Anhalt Merseburg in May 2021, he was already sentenced by the Halle District Court to a fine of 13,000 Euro in total in mid-May. He also filed for revision against this judgment.
- Following the judgment, the Justice system in Germany is now overseeing multiple revison processes related to the use of Nazi slogans by Thuringia's AfD chief, Björn Höcke.
- The controversial sentence issued to Björn Höcke in Thuringia for using a Nazi slogan sparked criticism and debates about freedom of speech and extremism within political circles in Saxony-Anhalt as well.
- The recent judgments against Björn Höcke demonstrate the firm stance of German authorities against tolerating symbols and slogans associated with extremist groups like the Sturmabteilung (SA) and the Nazi Party (NSDAP).
- Despite facing multiple judgments and fines in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, Björn Höcke of the AfD continues to maintain his innocence and challenge the verdicts in the ongoing court processes.
