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Partial success for AfD: Court bans offensive statements from leftists!
AfD MPs win partial success against leftists in Western Pomerania-Rügen. Dispute over insults decided in court.
Partial success for AfD: Court bans offensive statements from leftists!
There is news in a heated legal dispute between the AfD and the Left district association in Rostock: The Rostock regional court has decided that the district association cannot generally describe the two AfD MPs Thore Stein and Enrico Schult as “political and human assholes”. This verdict represents a partial success for the AfD MPs, who went to court with their lawsuit against the allegations made by Left MP Dirk Bruhn. [Süddeutsche Zeitung]. were justified as permissible expression of opinion in the context of political debate.
The dispute has its origins in a heated debate in the state parliament. On April 10, Bruhn accused the two AfD MPs of making fun of the symptoms of his Parkinson's disease. His words caused a stir and led to a call to order by the President of the State Parliament, Birgit Hesse. Despite the violent allegations, Bruhn was unable to get his lawsuit against the AfD MPs accepted in the Schwerin regional court because his account was not confirmed. Schult and Stein then decided to take legal action against the repeated insults from the Left district association.
Legal dispute continues
The Rostock regional court has now decided that the blatant insult does not exceed the limits of what is permitted, which the AfD parliamentarians see as a positive step. According to Welt, the hearing lasted more than an hour and a half. In this context, the presiding judge also questioned the standing of individual AfD MPs to sue. Some allegations affected the group as a whole and were therefore not just reserved for individuals.
It remains to be seen how the further legal steps will turn out. The allegations and the associated lawsuits are being heard in several court cases. In the coming days, the Stralsund regional court will also be dealing with an injunction brought by the AfD against the Left-wing district association of Vorpommern-Rügen.
The limits of expression
In political debate, the line between permissible criticism and punishable insults is often blurred. According to Section 185 of the Criminal Code, insults protect a person's honor and therefore distinguish between sharp and hurtful expressions of opinion. A comprehensive analysis by Mandic Law Firm shows that particularly critical handling of statements can be observed in political discourse. The courts must constantly balance the balance between freedom of expression and protection against insults.
In the case of the AfD parliamentarians, the outcome could be crucial in determining where the boundaries of political communication lie. If the latest ruling is violated, the Left district association could face severe fines or even prison sentences of up to six months. The legal situation remains exciting and is being closely monitored by many political observers.