New investigations - Immunity of AfD politician Höcke lifted once again
The Justice Committee of the Thuringia State Parliament has once again cleared the way for criminal investigations against the chairman of the Thuringia AfD-State Faction, Bjoern Hoecke. The committee lifted Hoecke's immunity in a session, according to information from the news agency DPA.
The two AfD representatives in the committee had opposed the decision, it was reported in unanimous consensus from committee sources. The other present committee members therefore voted for the lifting of Hoecke's immunity. The decision goes back to a corresponding application from the Prosecutor's Office Gera.
Hoecke's Immunity Already Revoked Multiple Times
The prosecutor from the Prosecutor's Office Gera stated that they would investigate Hoecke due to suspicions that the 52-year-old had defamed the German state in a speech on October 3, 2022 in Gera. A spokesperson for the Prosecutor's Office Gera explained that this initial suspicion arose from several longer passages in the speech. They did not provide further details.
Paragraph 90a of the Criminal Code penalizes the defamation of the state and its symbols. The provision threatens anyone who insults or contemptuously disregards the Federal Republic of Germany, a federal state, or the constitutional order during an assembly with up to three years in prison.
Hoecke did not wish to comment on the new investigations against him. "Bjoern Hoecke will not make any further statements in this matter," a spokesperson for Hoecke said. The Justice Committee of the Landtag has already revoked Hoecke's immunity multiple times.
State Parliamentarians Enjoy Immunity from Prosecution
In two proceedings before the Halle District Court, Hoecke was most recently found guilty of using symbols of unconstitutional organizations. Both judgments are not yet legally binding.
Thuringian State Parliamentarians enjoy immunity, which means they have protection from prosecution. The investigating authorities may only proceed against them in principle after the Justice Committee of the Parliament has authorized investigations against them.
- The Justice Committee in Erfurt, Thuringia's state parliament, decided to revoke Björn Höcke's immunity, allowing criminal investigations to proceed against him.
- The public prosecutor's office in Gera initiated the investigation against Höcke, citing suspicions of defamation of the German state in a speech.
- Since the initial suspicion stemmed from several passages in the speech, the prosecutor did not provide more details.
- The AfD representatives in the Justice Committee opposed the decision to revoke Höcke's immunity, but the majority voted in favor of it, following a request from the Gera prosecutor's office.
- According to DPA, the Justice Committee's decision to lift Höcke's immunity was based on an application from the Prosecutor's Office in Gera.
- Björn Höcke, the chairman of the Thuringia AfD-State Faction, chose not to comment on the new investigations, as stated by a spokesperson.
- Previously, the Justice Committee of the Thuringian Landtag had revoked Höcke's immunity multiple times, according to reports.
