Equity is being served: A legal representative delivers retribution to those who break the law. - Lawyer claims PM underwent verbal attack in court
The public prosecutor and the state attorney believe the line between acceptable political opinion expression and criminal defamation has been crossed, while the lawyer insists the statements are covered under the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech.
The lawyer made these statements in emails, not hate speech. He didn't publicly or anonymously attack the politician on social media. Instead, he voiced his concerns about her backing of the contentious Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline through private, personally-addressed messages.
The lawyer later acknowledged in court that at the time, these comments "were far from my finest hour," but he was irritated. In the first email, he accused the prime minister of undermining the interests of the Federal Republic. In the second email, sent four days later, he used more provocative language towards the politician's support for "the tyrant and mass murderer in Moscow," labeling it repugnant and intolerable.
The lawyer argued during trial that "just because something is offensive doesn't necessarily make it illegal." The judge stopped the hearing after two hours to prevent the lawyer from reading a 29-page declaration and providing additional clarification, as there were no availability dates within the next three weeks. The case still has no confirmed return date.
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In response to the lawyer's actions, the public prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf initiated legal processes against him. Despite being from Schleswig-Holstein, the case was moved to a court in North Rhine-Westphalia, where Manuela Schwesig serves as Prime Minister. The lawyer's actions were deemed an insult to justice and a breach of criminal law.
The SPD, being the politician's party, strongly condemned the lawyer's attacks on Schwesig. The incident has sparked a heated debate about the boundaries of freedom of speech and criminal defamation, particularly in political contexts. Similarly, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a public figure recently faced trials for similar charges, causing a ripple effect in the country's justice system.
Source: www.stern.de
