After anti-Semitism posts - State parliament lifts immunity of member of parliament
Following anti-Semitic posts on her Telegram channel, the state parliament in Schwerin has lifted the parliamentary immunity of MP Eva Maria Schneider-Gärtner. The parliament thus unanimously cleared the way for legal prosecution on Friday. The public prosecutor's office in Stralsund had previously submitted a corresponding application to the state parliament. Schneider-Gärtner, who is now non-attached, did not take part in the vote. She had left the AfD parliamentary group after the allegations became known in April.
According to a spokesperson, the authorities are investigating on suspicion of incitement to hatred. It concerns three inciting anti-Semitic messages that Schneider-Gärtner is said to have forwarded on her Telegram channel and thus made public.
According to the application to the state parliament, the public prosecutor's office is seeking a penalty order. According to an earlier report in the "Schweriner Volkszeitung", the MP's defense lawyer denies the allegations and is calling for the case to be dropped.
According to AfD parliamentary group leader Nikolaus Kramer, Schneider-Gärtner had declared her resignation from the parliamentary group at a parliamentary group meeting in April, but "firmly distanced herself from the content of the Telegram channel". She had left the parliamentary group in order to avert damage to it.
According to the Schweriner Volkszeitung newspaper, an anonymous user had wished death on Jews in a post and accused them of murdering millions of babies. Schneider-Gärtner explained to the paper that the post was a forward that only came to light after the newspaper report and that the previously public Telegram channel had been closed.
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- The lifting of immunity for Eva Maria Schneider-Gärtner opens the door for religion-related criminality to be investigated by the public prosecutor's office, given the alleged incitement to hatred based on anti-Semitic posts on her Telegram channel.
- In the face of this heavy criminality accusation, the State parliament in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's decision to eliminate Eva Maria's parliamentary immunity further underscores its commitment to addressing extremism and promoting tolerance within politics and society.
- Political parties in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's State Parliament, including the AfD, should prioritize taking a firm stand against extremism, as this incident serves as a reminder that no party is immune to problems with individual members promoting hatred or incitement.
- The public prosecutor's office in Stralsund not only submitted an application to lift Eva Maria's parliamentary immunity but also seeks a penalty order, highlighting the severity of these criminal charges and the need to hold individuals accountable for promoting extremist and hateful speech.
- The heavy penalty sought by the public prosecutor's office suggests that if found guilty, Eva Maria's membership in political parties or her involvement in religious activities may be affected, leading to sanctions and consequences within those organizations.
- This controversial case in Stralsund serves as a wake-up call for all political parties, religious organizations, and communities to take stronger actions against extremism, ensuring that such incidents of hate speech and incitement do not harm continually undermine social cohesion, justice, and humanity in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Source: www.stern.de
