Germany To Prosecute Comedian For The Crime Of Making Fun Of Turkish PM Erdogan

[GlennB]

I'll take WildCat's even money about this German law being repealed. $/€500 that it's repealed within 24 months from right now (he left the timeframe open to the punter).

 

[WildCat]

The 17 strangest laws in America.

Now I find it hard to believe that a self-professed atheist is barred, in Texas and some other states, from running for office, so somebody might be able to debunk that one. If true it's a hideous restriction on personal freedom that the USA should be mightily ashamed of.

There are laws which are blatantly unconstitutional which are on the books but never used. Relics from bygone eras.

Unlike Germany's law, which is being used as we speak to prosecute a comedian for insulting the Turkish PM. And used not by some pissant prosecutor in some rural backwater town of 50 people but authorized by the head of state!

All done for political purposes!

 

[GlennB]

If a Texan tried to implement this archaic law against an atheist candidate then it wouldn't be for the POTUS to deny it, would it? It would go to the courts. This is exactly what Merkel has accepted.

Nothing to see here ... move along.

 

[epeeist]

Guardian has a few more details

I wouldn't quite say she's "totally to blame", and it seems the only politically palatable choice at the moment. Personally I probably would have told Edrogan to buzz off, but then I would have shot down the russian jets too, so I'm apparently feeling a little irritable this week ....

Good article, thanks.

I may be blaming Merkel more than the British of over 60 years ago or legislators in the interim, because her public statements (at least as reported) were clearly meant to make it seem like this was an ordinary prosecution, her hands were tied, normal legal proceedings etc., whereas it was actually something that the government had to explicitly allow to proceed.

 

[John Nowak]

Now I find it hard to believe that a self-professed atheist is barred, in Texas and some other states, from running for office, so somebody might be able to debunk that one. If true it's a hideous restriction on personal freedom that the USA should be mightily ashamed of.

I can't help but notice the link doesn't mention when this was last enforced, if at all. Equivocation fail, big time.

 

[Giz]

The 17 strangest laws in America.

Now I find it hard to believe that a self-professed atheist is barred, in Texas and some other states, from running for office, so somebody might be able to debunk that one. If true it's a hideous restriction on personal freedom that the USA should be mightily ashamed of.

Those are bad laws. And if they were ever enforced, people actually got bought to trial by them, it would be very bad.

There, see how easy that was? It's ridiculous, the knee jerk defensiveness of some europeans when a bad law gets criticized. Just the whiff of an American criticising something in Europe or the uk brings out the usual suspects with their tu quoques.

 

[welshdean]

The 17 strangest laws in America.

Now I find it hard to believe that a self-professed atheist is barred, in Texas and some other states, from running for office, so somebody might be able to debunk that one. If true it's a hideous restriction on personal freedom that the USA should be mightily ashamed of.

Yeah, but, but, that's different.
This is about stupid laws, not err, stupid US laws.

 

[GlennB]

Those are bad laws. And if they were ever enforced, people actually got bought to trial by them, it would be very bad.

There, see how easy that was? It's ridiculous, the knee jerk defensiveness of some europeans when a bad law gets criticized. Just the whiff of an American criticising something in Europe or the uk brings out the usual suspects with their tu quoques.

Can I refer you back to the o/p? (Apologies somewhat, as I only see WildCat's posts in quoted form) :

"I'm not sure what personal rights can exist at all when a person can be prosecuted for insulting a politician.

This is reminiscent of the DDR. What next for Germany, bringing back the Stasi? If Europe once again descends into fascism and/or totalitarianism it will be under the guise of protecting the "right" to not be offended. "

My highlighting. Your response just now was fairly modest and considered. OK. WC's o/p was an in-your-face drooling rage of irrationality and that's what some people are railing against.

p.s. The UK is in Europe, so no need to distinguish between them the way you did.

 

[Giz]

p.s. The UK is in Europe, so no need to distinguish between them the way you did.

But for how much longer?

 

[dudalb]

Flabbergasted that anybody is defending this stupid law, or Merkel's decision to enforce it.
In the US we have a number of stupid local laws which are never enforced, called "Dead Letter Laws" but what is going on with Germany is different.

 

[GnaGnaMan]

Flabbergasted that anybody is defending this stupid law, or Merkel's decision to enforce it.
In the US we have a number of stupid local laws which are never enforced, called "Dead Letter Laws" but what is going on with Germany is different.

Don't see where anyone either defended this law or explained why it is stupid.

 

[Giz]

Flabbergasted that anybody is defending this stupid law, or Merkel's decision to enforce it.
.

Some folks just don't like to have their flaws pointed out, at least not by Americans. Probably an inferiority complex.

 

[Dr.Sid]

I can understand Germany has weird laws. I don't understand how a voted politician's opinion is relevant to whether person is prosecuted or not. Doesn't Germany have independent justice ?

 

[Giz]

It sounds as if the comedian had had his show pulled. And he still gets to go to court!

Enjoy artistic censorship from foreign powers Germany!



Seen on the Web, regarding Merkel ' s role in this:
"You can take the girl out of East Germany, but you can't take the east Germany out of the girl"

 

[WildCat]

Can I refer you back to the o/p? (Apologies somewhat, as I only see WildCat's posts in quoted form) :

"I'm not sure what personal rights can exist at all when a person can be prosecuted for insulting a politician.

This is reminiscent of the DDR. What next for Germany, bringing back the Stasi?

Was it illegal to insult politicians in the DDR? Why yes it was!

If Europe once again descends into fascism and/or totalitarianism it will be under the guise of protecting the "right" to not be offended. "

My highlighting. Your response just now was fairly modest and considered. OK. WC's o/p was an in-your-face drooling rage of irrationality and that's what some people are railing against.

p.s. The UK is in Europe, so no need to distinguish between them the way you did.

Hey, Brits and other Euros here have defended their speech laws on the basis that without them they would become fascist dictatorships again, or start stuffing Jews in the gas chambers again. Otherwise why the Holocaust denial laws and bans on the sale of Nazi paraphernalia?

 

[welshdean]

Some folks just don't like to have their flaws pointed out, at least not by Americans. Probably an inferiority complex.

Funniest thing I've ever read on these boards

 

[ddt]

I can understand Germany has weird laws. I don't understand how a voted politician's opinion is relevant to whether person is prosecuted or not. Doesn't Germany have independent justice ?

Yes it does. However, this paragraph (103) from the criminal code is specifically about insults against a foreign head of state or government member; so the crime has a political dimension, and thus the German executive must also have an interest in the prosecution. As an analogy: there are several other crimes in German penal code (with a proper English word: Antragsdelikt) that only are prosecuted when the victim requests that prosecution go ahead.

What gets stuffed under the carpet, is that the German penal code also has a paragraph (185) about insults in general, and that Erdogan has filed a report with the prosecutor under that paragraph.

 

[fuelair]

An absolutely disgusting development:

I'm not sure what personal rights can exist at all when a person can be prosecuted for insulting a politician.

This is reminiscent of the DDR. What next for Germany, bringing back the Stasi?

If Europe once again descends into fascism and/or totalitarianism it will be under the guise of protecting the "right" to not be offended.

Or bringing back the Nazi party!!!

 

[commandlinegamer]

Already happening, f.e. a very well known old joker named Hallervorden came up with a song "Erdogan, sue me"

I liked him in Didi - Der Doppelgänger.

 

[theprestige]

The 17 strangest laws in America.

Now I find it hard to believe that a self-professed atheist is barred, in Texas and some other states, from running for office, so somebody might be able to debunk that one. If true it's a hideous restriction on personal freedom that the USA should be mightily ashamed of.

; )

Barred from running for office, or barred from holding office?