German Economist fined €16,100 for sarcastic X posts
12 days ago
- #Germany
- #free-speech
- #legal-case
- A Düsseldorf-based economist, Thomas Vierhaus, is being prosecuted for sarcastic remarks online about public figures under Section 185 of the German Criminal Code.
- Vierhaus received a total fine of €16,100 for three separate X posts deemed insulting by officials and journalists.
- One post mocked Katrin Göring-Eckardt, Vice President of the Bundestag, over her climate change remarks, leading to a complaint filed by a doctoral student.
- Another charge arose when Vierhaus called the same doctoral student a 'little snitch' after discovering his identity.
- A third post criticized ARD journalist Moritz Rödle, calling him a 'nincompoop,' which led to a complaint via Hessen gegen Hetze.
- The penalty order combines all three allegations, with fines calculated based on Vierhaus's income (70 daily fines of €230 each).
- Vierhaus plans to contest the charges in court.
- Germany's legal system increasingly targets offensive or sarcastic speech, raising concerns about censorship and freedom of expression.