Germany approves criminal inquiry into comic who mocked Turkish president

[Theowl32]

Germany will allow the potential prosecution of a top comedian after the Turkish president filed a complaint.

Jan Boehmermann had recited a satirical poem on television which made sexual references to Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Under German law, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government had to approve a criminal inquiry.

Mrs Merkel stressed that the courts would have the final word, and it was now up to prosecutors to decide whether to press charges.

The chancellor added that her government would move to repeal the controversial and little-used Article 103 of the penal code, which concerns insults against foreign heads of state, by 2018.

Boehmermann is a satirist and television present who is well-known for pushing the boundaries of German humour. He was given police protection earlier this week.

Some experts say he has a strong defence against potential charges because his poem could be seen as part of a wider piece of satire about free speech, rather than a deliberate insult, the BBC's Damien McGuinness reports from Berlin.An earlier remark by Mrs Merkel that the poem was "deliberately offensive" had led to accusations in Germany that she was not standing up for free speech.

Germany Turkey: Merkel allows inquiry into comic's Erdogan insult - BBC News

The global promotion of moooslems is clear and beyond the shadow of all doubt. Left wingers folks. Left wingers.

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

Germany will allow the potential prosecution of a top comedian after the Turkish president filed a complaint.

Jan Boehmermann had recited a satirical poem on television which made sexual references to Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Under German law, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government had to approve a criminal inquiry.

Mrs Merkel stressed that the courts would have the final word, and it was now up to prosecutors to decide whether to press charges.

The chancellor added that her government would move to repeal the controversial and little-used Article 103 of the penal code, which concerns insults against foreign heads of state, by 2018.

Boehmermann is a satirist and television present who is well-known for pushing the boundaries of German humour. He was given police protection earlier this week.

Some experts say he has a strong defence against potential charges because his poem could be seen as part of a wider piece of satire about free speech, rather than a deliberate insult, the BBC's Damien McGuinness reports from Berlin.An earlier remark by Mrs Merkel that the poem was "deliberately offensive" had led to accusations in Germany that she was not standing up for free speech.

Germany Turkey: Merkel allows inquiry into comic's Erdogan insult - BBC News

The global promotion of moooslems is clear and beyond the shadow of all doubt. Left wingers folks. Left wingers.

I can't be bothered re-writing a response, I just posted about this in the Europa section, so I'm copying my exact post from there as a response to this OP.

This is an arcane clause in the Constitution, it dates back more than 100 years, it's been so obscure that it's rarely ever been invoked....this is one of the rare times.

Traitor Bitch Merkel can't stop digging that hole, the majority of the Cabinet are against her about this, she's politically finished anyhow since November 2015, all they're arguing about behind closed doors is who'll replace her, I expect they'll have made a decision by this Summer.

The courts of course could refuse to hear the case, then Traitor Bitch Merkel will look even more pathetic than she already does.

 

[Mac1958]

Certainly this is the direction we're heading, as our culture becomes more and more accepting of actions that intimidate & punish free expression.

We've now given license to an entire generation of college students in this direction.
.

 

[Kosh]

Once again the far left does not support freedom of speech..

 

[Snouter]

Very troubling Middle East values have replaced Western values thanks to politicians and their unelected "judges." Apparently Germany has instituted bizarre anti-free speech laws such that people can be put in prison for researching and publically discussing WWII events.