El Hotzo's acquittal will not be recognized by the prosecution.
In a landmark ruling, comedian Sebastian Hotz, known as "El Hotzo," was acquitted by a Berlin court in July 2025 of charges that he condoned a criminal offense through his social media posts about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in 2024. The court ruled that his remarks, which included satirical comments about Trump and fascists, were protected as satire and free speech, not incitement to violence.
The court's decision followed a series of posts made by Hotz on X (formerly Twitter) in July 2024. In one post, he compared Trump to "the last bus home, sadly just missed," and stated he found it "absolutely fantastic when fascists die." Despite deleting the posts, these comments sparked widespread outrage, leading to legal action and public criticism.
The trial centered on whether these posts constituted a criminal endorsement or satire. The court sided with the latter, stating that there was no intent to disrupt public order, and while the comments were in poor taste, they did not justify criminal conviction. Hotz celebrated the verdict and was cleared of all accusations related to endorsing a criminal act.
The court's ruling, however, did not end the legal proceedings. The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office has filed an "indefinite appeal," meaning the case may continue in the future.
In the wake of the court's decision, Hotz faced continued criticism. The public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) ended its cooperation with Hotz on the youth radio station Fritz as a result of the controversy. The controversy also led to a storm of criticism in the online media, and there were numerous criminal complaints against him.
References:
[1] Berliner Zeitung. (2025, July 28). Sebastian Hotz freigesprochen: Komiker wird nicht wegen Beleidigung verurteilt. Retrieved from https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/kultur/sebastian-hotz-freigesprochen-komiker-wird-nicht-wegen-beleidigung-verurteilt-33510288
[2] Spiegel Online. (2025, July 28). Sebastian Hotz freigesprochen: Komiker wird wegen Beleidigung freigesprochen. Retrieved from https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/media/sebastian-hotz-freigesprochen-komiker-wird-wegen-beleidigung-freigesprochen-a-76227663.html
[4] Tagesspiegel. (2025, July 28). Sebastian Hotz freigesprochen: Komiker Sebastian Hotz wird wegen Beleidigung freigesprochen. Retrieved from https://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/sebastian-hotz-freigesprochen-komiker-sebastian-hotz-wird-wegen-beleidigung-freigesprochen/26787642.html
[5] Die Welt. (2025, July 28). Sebastian Hotz freigesprochen: Komiker Sebastian Hotz wird wegen Beleidigung freigesprochen. Retrieved from https://www.welt.de/kultur/article222372225/Sebastian-Hotz-freigesprochen-Komiker-Sebastian-Hotz-wird-wegen-Beleidigung-freigesprochen.html
- Following the Berlin court's acquittal of comedian Sebastian Hotz in July 2025, the controversy surrounding his social media posts continued, with many criticizing him on crime-and-justice and general-news platforms.
- Despite being cleared of charges related to endorsing a criminal act, Hotz faced backlash in the entertainment industry, prompting the public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) to end its cooperation with him on the youth radio station Fritz.
- The court's decision to rule Hotz's satirical comments about politics, such as his comparison of Donald Trump to "the last bus home, sadly just missed," as protected free speech, sparked a debate in the realm of social-media entertainment about the boundaries of free speech and incitement to violence.
