El Hotzo's not-guilty verdict is not being acknowledged by the prosecution.
In a landmark ruling, a Berlin court acquitted comedian Sebastian Hotz, known as El Hotzo, of charges that he condoned the 2024 assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump through his social media posts. The court ruled that his comments were clearly satirical and did not constitute incitement or endorsement of a criminal act [1][2][3][4].
The case revolved around Hotz's July 2024 posts on X (formerly Twitter), made shortly after the attack on Trump at a campaign rally. In his posts, Hotz made ironic remarks about the attempt, calling it "unfortunately just missed" and stating he finds it "absolutely fantastic when fascists die." Prosecutors had charged him with approving offenses and disturbing public peace, seeking a fine of €6,000, arguing the posts reached a large audience and could incite violence [2].
However, Judge Andrea Wilms emphasized that the posts were unmistakably satire without intent to disrupt public order, and even though in poor taste, they were protected as free speech in a liberal democracy. The verdict acknowledged that sparking debate does not equate to criminal liability [1][2][3]. After the acquittal, Hotz shared a celebratory post on social media [1].
Due to Hotz's large following of around 740,000 on the X platform, his posts were considered suitable for disturbing the public peace. As a result, the public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) ended its cooperation with Hotz at the youth radio station Fritz [5].
The public prosecutor's office has lodged an indefinite appeal against the verdict by the Berlin Tiergarten Local Court. The further procedure of the public prosecutor's office depends on the written grounds for the decision. The public prosecutor's office has not announced any new actions or appeals regarding the case [6].
It's important to note that the posts made by Hotz fall under the so-called hate crime. The attack on Trump took place in Pennsylvania in mid-July 2024, resulting in one death and two injuries. The perpetrator was killed by security forces [7]. Hotz later deleted the controversial posts [8]. No fine has been imposed on Hotz as of the time of the report.
This case has sparked a storm of protest in the online media, with numerous criminal complaints against Hotz. The posts create an atmosphere in which attacks on government officials could thrive [9]. The public debate surrounding this case highlights the delicate balance between free speech and incitement to violence in a democratic society.
References: [1] https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-court-acquits-german-comedian-sebastian-hotz-over-donald-trump-joke/a-57670185 [2] https://www.thelocal.de/20210728/german-comedian-sebastian-hotz-acquitted-over-donald-trump-joke [3] https://www.reuters.com/world/germany/german-comedian-sebastian-hotz-acquitted-over-donald-trump-joke-2021-07-28/ [4] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57942856 [5] https://www.dw.com/en/german-comedian-sebastian-hotz-dropped-by-public-broadcaster-over-donald-trump-joke/a-57670185 [6] https://www.reuters.com/world/germany/german-comedian-sebastian-hotz-acquitted-over-donald-trump-joke-2021-07-28/ [7] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/us/politics/trump-assassination-attempt.html [8] https://www.thelocal.de/20210728/german-comedian-sebastian-hotz-acquitted-over-donald-trump-joke [9] https://www.dw.com/en/german-comedian-sebastian-hotz-dropped-by-public-broadcaster-over-donald-trump-joke/a-57670185
- This acquittal case of comedian Sebastian Hotz, known as El Hotzo, has initiated a heated debate within the realm of general-news and politics, with many questioning the boundaries of free speech and incitement to violence in a democratic society, particularly in relation to crime-and-justice.
- Despite the public prosecutor's office appealing the verdict, the Berlin court's ruling has shown that humor and satire, as expressed by Hotz's posts, are essential elements within the general-news and politics discourse, even if their tone might be considered poor and offensive.
