Höcke finally convicted: fines for Nazi slogans!

Höcke finally convicted: fines for Nazi slogans!

In a remarkable process, the legal situation for AfD politician Björn Höcke, chairman of the AfD in Thuringia, has come to a head. On September 11, 2025, the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe rejected two of Höcke's appeals, making the judgments of the Halle Regional Court legally binding. This means that Höcke has to face serious consequences for his statements from 2021 and 2023, in which he used a banned SA slogan.

The use of the slogan “Everything for Germany”, a slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA) of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), is said to have occurred at events in Merseburg and Gera. According to the district court, Höcke was aware that this slogan was forbidden. His argument that these statements were made within the scope of his mandate did not convince the court. Therefore, no criminal protection could be derived for him, as MDR reports.

Legal basis and judgments

The criminal relevance of Höcke's statements is based on Section 86a of the Criminal Code, which prohibits the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations. This also includes organizations such as the SA, which played a central role in National Socialism. The legal framework is clear: Statements that use these slogans do not fall under freedom of expression. The Federal Court of Justice confirmed the regional court's assessment that Höcke's statements constituted a criminal offense and sentenced him to fines totaling 29,900 euros.

The judgments handed down in 2024 clearly concerned the use of the slogan in question in his speeches. These judgments were made sustainable by the comprehensive review of the Federal Court of Justice. Höcke is therefore forced to bear the financial consequences of his actions and at the same time has to deal with another case for sedition that has been pending at the Mühlhausen district court since last year, as Deutschlandfunk reports.

Political implications

The verdicts also cast a shadow over the AfD, which is repeatedly confronted with right-wing extremist tendencies. The use of Nazi slogans not only fuels legal problems, but also tests the party's social acceptance. In the context of over 100 right-wing extremist organizations that are considered unconstitutional in Germany, this illustrates the risks associated with such statements. Recent events have shown how sensitive the German legal system is to extremism and its symbols, an issue that remains high in society as a whole.

The consequences for Höcke and his party cannot yet be foreseen. But one thing is clear: political rhetoric and the limits of freedom of expression are a sensitive topic in Germany. The courts are unequivocal here - and the public must not forget that.