Fined for Calling Chancellor a 'Liar' Online: "Violation of Free Speech" vs "Defamation Must Be Punished"

"Pinocchio" Comment Dismissed Without Charges
Ruling Party Also Says "Such Punishment Is Excessive"

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A citizen who called German Chancellor Friedrich Merz a "liar" has been fined. Amid criticism that law enforcement authorities are excessively mindful of the chancellor, the U.S. State Department has also entered the debate, calling it online censorship.

According to Yonhap News, citing Tagesspiegel on the 5th, the District Court of Oehringen, Germany, recently fined a defendant the equivalent of 30 days' income for posting on Facebook referring to Chancellor Merz as "Liar Fritz."

The court fully accepted the prosecution's charge of insulting a politician. German criminal law includes a separate clause for defamation acts that hinder a politician's public activities, and imposes aggravated punishment of up to five years in prison.

The term "Liar Fritz" is a mocking expression derived from the name of Adolf Lüderfritz, a German merchant who committed land contract fraud in Namibia in the 19th century.

The controversial comment was posted last October under a Facebook post by Heilbronn police, which provided information about a no-fly zone during Chancellor Merz's visit. At the time, authorities investigated 38 comments out of a series of critical posts for charges of insulting a politician.

This is the first time a guilty verdict has been issued in such a case. Previously, prosecutors closed an investigation without indictment against a local resident who posted a comment saying "Pinocchio is coming to HN (Heilbronn)" along with a long nose emoji.

The Heilbronn prosecutor explained that the "liar" comment "undermines trust in the victim’s integrity and can foster negative prejudice or hostility among like-minded individuals."

Even within the ruling party, there has been criticism regarding punishment for such comments. Carsten Linnemann, Secretary-General of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), pointed out that "it could send a wrong signal that freedom of expression is being violated," and added, "If the prosecution starts punishing expressions of this level, it really crosses the line."

U.S. Trump Administration Also Reacts to Germany's 'Online Censorship' Controversy

The Donald Trump administration in the United States, which has long claimed that European online censorship infringes on freedom of expression, also joined the debate.

Sarah Rogers, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, shared a related article on X (formerly Twitter) and sarcastically commented, "Given Germany's unique history, I often hear arguments that censorship should be allowed to some extent. German censorship, in reality, extends this far."

In response to the Trump administration’s previous criticism of European online censorship, Germany has cited its Nazi past of inciting racism and hatred, arguing that such measures are tools for defending democracy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.