El Hotzo's acquittal is being rejected by the prosecution.
Comedian Sebastian Hotz, known as El Hotzo, was acquitted by a Berlin court on July 23, 2025, of charges that he condoned a criminal offense through controversial online posts about the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump [1][2][3]. The court ruled that Hotz's remarks, which included comments like "unfortunately just missed" and "I find it absolutely fantastic when fascists die," were clearly satirical and did not incite violence or disrupt public order, despite their poor taste [1][3].
The controversy began after a gunman shot at Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, wounding Trump and killing a supporter [2][3]. Hotz had made a post on X (formerly Twitter) expressing his thoughts, comparing the shots at Trump to the "last bus" and commenting "unfortunately, just missed" [2][3]. Prosecutors sought a €6,000 fine, arguing Hotz's large online following could amplify harm and disturb public peace [2][3].
However, Judge Andrea Wilms emphasized that such expressions in a liberal democracy are permissible forms of satire and debate [1][3]. The Berlin-Tiergarten Local Court acquitted Hotz of the charge of approving the attack and thereby disturbing the public peace [1].
Despite the acquittal, the Public Prosecutor's Office has announced its intention to appeal the court's decision [5]. This suggests the legal case is not fully closed, and further judicial proceedings may follow.
In a separate development, public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) ended its cooperation with Hotz on the youth radio station Fritz following the controversy [4]. The exact reasons for the termination were not disclosed, but it is believed that the controversial posts played a role in the decision.
In summary, as of early August 2025, Sebastian Hotz has been acquitted of all charges regarding his controversial posts about the Trump attack, but the prosecution intends to appeal this verdict [1][5]. The public broadcaster RBB has also ended its cooperation with Hotz following the controversy.
References: [1] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/el-hotzo-freigesprochen-in-trump-attentat-fall-a-1280896.html [2] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/el-hotzo-freigesprochen-in-trump-attentat-fall-a-1280896.html [3] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2025-07/el-hotzo-freigesprochen-trump-attentat-fall [4] https://www.rbb-online.de/kultur/el-hotzo-aus-der-rbb-redaktion-entfernt-710.html [5] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article205615069/El-Hotzo-Freigesprochen-in-Trump-Attentat-Fall-Berliner-Justiz-will-Revision.html
Following the Berlin court's acquittal of comedian Sebastian Hotz, also known as El Hotzo, on July 23, 2025, for controversial posts about the 2024 assault on Donald Trump, the debate continued on social media, involving topics such as entertainment, politics, general news, and crime-and-justice. Despite the court's ruling that Hotz's satirical remarks did not incite violence or disrupt public order, the Public Prosecutor's Office announced its intention to appeal the decision. This legal case, initially stirring controversy on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), may continue with further judicial proceedings. The controversy also led to a decision by public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) to end its cooperation with Hotz, affecting his involvement on the youth radio station Fritz.
