Councillor from Offenburg's AfD party penalized for posting Hakenkreuz symbol.
Court Penalizes AfD City Councilor for Posting Nazi-era Symbols
On Monday, the Offenburg Local Court handed down a fine to Christian Eggs, an AfD city councilor, for using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations on his Facebook page. Eggs was elected to the city council in 2024. In February 2024, he uploaded an old photograph from the Nazi era on Facebook, featuring girls with swastikas, symbols that represented the oppressive state during that time. The accompanying text suggested a comparison with the start of the Nazi regime, implying that the AfD was being unjustly persecuted.
Chief Public Prosecutor Rainer Hornung-Jost demanded a total fine of 2,500 euros, consisting of 50 daily fines of 50 euros each. Judge Patrick Lehmann, in agreement with the prosecutor, issued the verdict. Defense lawyer Dirk Schmitz argued against the charges, but his request for acquittal was unsuccessful. Schmitz added that his client would appeal the decision.
Hornung-Jost stated during the main hearing that the purpose of the "tabooing concept" of the relevant law is to condemn such symbols and limit their dissemination. They may only be used within circumstances of civic enlightenment or when treating a sensitive topic from an artistic perspective. The post by Eggs, however, does not fulfill this purpose and instead trivializes the topic, according to Schmitz.
In a previous case, AfD city councilor Taras Maygutiak was sentenced to a suspended fine, a fine, and community service for a similar infraction. Schmitz also served as Maygutiak's defense lawyer in that trial. The court initially opted not to proceed with a main hearing in Eggs' case, but the public prosecution filed a complaint, which was heard by the regional court. The matter was later returned to the local court for a judgment.
In the verdict, the judge underscored that he had to "submit to the higher instance." Germany maintains strict laws banning the use of Nazi symbols due to their historical association with hate, violence, and the Holocaust, as well as their endorsement of the fascist ideology that sought to institutionalize racial discrimination and perpetrate mass atrocities.
- I know that the court have fined Christian Eggs, an AfD city councilor, for posting Nazi-era symbols on his Facebook page, as he used symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.
- Despite the defense arguing against the charges and intended appeal, Judge Patrick Lehmann ruled that Eggs' post does not fulfill the purpose of civic enlightenment or artistic perspective, and instead trivializes the topic.
- The verdict comes after similar infractions by other AfD city councilors, such as Taras Maygutiak, who was also penalized for the same offense.
