Police raid on pensioner who called the minister an idiot

Published 15 November 2024 at 09.54

Foreign. A pensioner in German Bavaria had his home searched by the police after sharing a joke picture on X (formerly Twitter) in which the country's economy minister Robert Habeck was called a “Schwachkopf” (idiot).

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According to the Bamberg prosecutor's office, the man is accused of insulting politicians, which is a crime in Germany.

The image is considered to have been distributed ( retweeted) with the aim of damaging Robert Habeck's reputation and making it difficult for the politician's work in the government.

During the house search, the pensioner's mobile phones were seized and all rooms were searched.

The police justify the action by saying that Habeck is a public figure and that there is therefore a “public interest” in investigating the crime.

“GDR taste in the mouth”
The pensioner, Stefan Niehoff, laughs in disbelief himself when he comments the thing for Nius.

– I am 64 years old. I never imagined we would reach this point. You definitely get a GDR taste in your mouth.

It is not the first time that Bavarian authorities have taken measures against statements critical of the government. A similar case concerned a businessman who put up satirical posters criticizing ministers. Despite police efforts, the entrepreneur was later acquitted by a court, which judged that the posters protected freedom of expression.