Incitement of the people - Penal order against Baptists - appeal
Charges of Incitement Against a Suspect from the "Reliable Word Baptist Church Pforzheim" (BKZW), Under Surveillance by the Constitutional Protection Agency, are Being Heard at Pforzheim Local Court. The Man has Filed an Appeal Against a Penalty Order. "This Means that a Public Trial Will Take Place," the Court Announced. "A Date Has Not Yet Been Set."
The Public Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe has requested a fine of 120 daily rates of 80 euros each. This would result in the suspect having a criminal record. Earlier reports indicated that the suspect's sermons were delivered at the BKZW in Pforzheim. The same applies to another person against whom the authority is investigating.
Devaluation of Homosexuals and Anti-Democratic Tendencies
The State Office for Constitutional Protection has been monitoring the BKZW as a surveillance object in the phenomenon area of "Constitutional Protection Relevant Delegitimization of the State" since May 2023. According to the constitutional protection report, the ideological focus of the BKZW lies in the massive devaluation of homosexuals, which is openly preached in publicly accessible speeches. "In parts of the sermons, statements are made that advocate violence and primarily target human dignity. The often drastic language of the preachers underscores the harshness of the content."
Furthermore, the BKZW fundamentally rejects democratic will formation and decision-making. It questions decisions made by democratically legitimized persons and delegitimizes state action, the constitutional protection explained. Some sermons also contain anti-Semitic and conspiracy ideological elements.
The suspect's charges of incitement are deeply rooted in his sermons at the BKZW, as highlighted by the constitutional protection report, which accused the church of devaluing homosexuals and displaying anti-democratic tendencies, potentially violating the principles outlined in the Constitution (Law).
Given the severity of the charges, the court's announcement of a public trial and the possibility of a criminal record further underscores the importance of upholding the constitutionally protected rights of all individuals in the German legal system.
