Interview with the AfD Party conducted in Detmold ends up under State Protection
The Lippische Landes-Zeitung (LZ) has found itself at the centre of controversy after deleting certain passages from an interview with AfD mayoral candidate Jirka Moeller during the local election campaign. The newspaper, which initially did not publish the interview in full length, instead interrupting it with "fact checks" and removing certain passages, has now forwarded the deleted content to the "responsible authorities" with the note that they could be "unconstitutional" or "reveal right-wing extremist tendencies."
The investigation by the authorities is ongoing, focusing on controversial statements made by Moeller that raised concerns about possible legal violations, such as hate speech or incitement. Among the contentious remarks, Moeller was accused of spreading a "right-wing conspiracy theory without evidence" when he explained that the federal government was being controlled by a "New World Order."
The LZ has implemented guidelines for dealing with AfD candidates, which include fundamental commenting, marking false statements, and reporting suspected criminal statements to the authorities. This treatment was also applied to the interview with Detmolder AfD candidate Viktor Hübner, with his answers marked with "fact checks" and reported to the authorities.
However, it is important to note that the LZ refrained from applying this treatment to candidates from parties other than the AfD during their conversations. Moeller himself has expressed confusion over the matter, stating that he does not know what he is supposed to have done wrong in the interview with the LZ.
When asked which passages were sent to the police, the LZ did not give Moeller an answer. The LZ has, however, confirmed that the interview with Moeller deals with state protection, as Kriminalhauptkommissarin Sonja Rehmert from the Police Presidency Bielefeld has confirmed.
The state protection investigates extremism, terrorism, and politically motivated violence. Moeller is under state protection due to politically motivated crimes and the protection of the liberal democratic order. The investigation into Moeller's statements will continue, and further updates will depend on the progress and findings of the official investigation.
The portal Apollo News has reported on the LZ's treatment of the interview with the Detmolder AfD candidate Viktor Hübner, shedding light on the newspaper's unique approach to interviews with AfD candidates. The LZ published its own guidelines for dealing with AfD candidates as early as August 5.
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