El Hotzo's not-guilty verdict will be disputed by the prosecution.
Sebastian Hotz, commonly known as the comedian "El Hotzo," faced judicial proceedings over a comment about an attempted assassination of Donald Trump on the platform X, made approximately a year ago. The comment, which was later deleted, drew controversy and a public outcry, leading to numerous criminal complaints against Hotz [2].
The initial post humorously compared the assassination attempt to "just missing the last bus" and expressed admiration for when "fascists die." These statements were deemed suitable to disturb the public peace due to their reach, as Hotz has around 740,000 followers on X [3].
Despite the controversy, the District Court of Tiergarten acquitted Hotz, ruling that his post was not suitable and constituted a "punishable satire," despite being tasteless [4]. Judge Andrea Wilms emphasized the posts’ satirical nature and stated that such expressions, while provocative, do not legally incite violence or compel criminal actions [1].
However, the Public Prosecutor's Office in Berlin lodged an appeal against this ruling, claiming that the posts fell under the so-called hate crime [5]. The further procedure depends on the written reasoning of the judgment [6].
As a result of the controversy, the public broadcaster ARD's radio station Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) ended its cooperation with Hotz on the youth radio station Fritz [7].
It is important to note that a climate was created by Hotz's posts in which attacks on state officials could thrive [8]. The attack on Donald Trump in Pennsylvania occurred in mid-July 2024, resulting in a visitor's death and injuries to two others [9].
The Public Prosecutor's Office has initially lodged an "indeterminate appeal" against Hotz's acquittal, and the final legal development is yet to be determined [1][3][4].
References: [1] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/El-Hotzo-Satiriker-Sebastian-Hotz-freigesprochen-id21993504.html [2] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/el-hotzo-satiriker-freigesprochen-in-berlin-id23076809 [3] https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/tv/el-hotzo-freigesprochen-in-berlin-satiriker-sebastian-hotz-musste-fuer-umstrittene-twitter-beitraege-vor-gericht-stehen-a-136034390.html [4] https://www.welt.de/kultur/tv/article215138696/El-Hotzo-freigesprochen-Berlin-Satiriker-Sebastian-Hotz-musste-fuer-umstrittene-Twitter-Beitraege-vor-Gericht-stehen.html [5] https://www.zeit.de/kultur/2025-07/el-hotzo-satiriker-sebastian-hotz-freigesprochen-in-berlin-twitter-beitraege-umstritten [6] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/el-hotzo-satiriker-freigesprochen-in-berlin-id23076809 [7] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/El-Hotzo-Satiriker-Sebastian-Hotz-freigesprochen-id21993504.html [8] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/el-hotzo-satiriker-freigesprochen-in-berlin-id23076809 [9] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/el-hotzo-satiriker-freigesprochen-in-berlin-id23076809
- Following the acquittal of comedian Sebastian Hotz, also known as "El Hotzo," on charges related to his controversial comment on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the Public Prosecutor's Office in Berlin lodged an indeterminate appeal, arguing that the comments fell under the category of hate crime.
- Despite the District Court of Tiergarten's ruling that comedian Sebastian Hotz's post was a "punishable satire" and did not legally incite violence or compel criminal actions, the public broadcaster ARD's radio station Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) ended its cooperation with Hotz on the youth radio station Fritz, possibly due to the climate created by his posts in which attacks on state officials could thrive.
