- Melanie Müller faced monetary penalties
The Leipzig Regional Court has ruled in the case concerning the Nazi salute against musician Melanie Müller (36). As stated by various news sources, the judge fined Müller 160 instances of 500 euros each, amounting to 80,000 euros, on August 23rd. It's alleged that the verdict includes a drug offense from last year as well.
Müller attended the court hearing in person for the verdict, but it's not yet legally binding, as reported by outlets like "Zeit Online". According to these reports, the court significantly surpassed the prosecutor's proposed fine. The prosecutor had requested 95 daily fines of 60 euros each, totaling 5,700 euros. Müller's legal team argued for her acquittal in both instances.
Pending Charges
Melanie Müller is under investigation for making the unlawful and extreme-right hand gesture multiple times during a September 2022 performance. She rejects these accusations and maintains that she does not associate with extreme-right circles. Moreover, she is accused of illegally possessing prohibited substances on a certain day in August 2023, according to "Bild" as reported by the chief public prosecutor at the start of the year.
Performing the extreme-right gesture is forbidden under section 86a of the German Criminal Code, and the penalty can range from a fine to imprisonment for up to three years.
The judge fined Melanie Müller 160 times 500 euros each for making the Nazi salute, totaling 80,000 euros in fines. This fine significantly exceeded the prosecutor's proposed penalty of 5,700 euros.
