Prosecutors have rejected the not-guilty verdict for El Hotzo.
In a landmark decision, 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 with satirical online posts related to the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump.
The court ruled that Hotz's remarks were unmistakably satire without intent to incite violence or disrupt public order, emphasizing the protection of free speech and satire in a liberal democracy.
The ruling came after Hotz posted darkly humorous comments on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the shooting in Pennsylvania, comparing Trump to "the last bus" that had "unfortunately just missed," and adding, "I find it absolutely fantastic when fascists die." Prosecutors argued these posts endorsed a criminal act and disturbed public peace, seeking a fine of 6,000 euros. However, the judge dismissed the charges, noting that no reasonable person would interpret the posts as calls to violence.
The court had previously acquitted Hotz of the charge of approving the attack and thus disturbing the public peace. The posts were deemed suitable for disturbing the public peace as they created an atmosphere in which attacks on state officials could thrive.
The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office has lodged an appeal against a ruling by the Berlin Tiergarten Local Court. The specific details about the legal proceedings against Hotz are not yet clear. It is known that the posts were considered under the category of hate crime due to their reach, as Hotz has around 740,000 followers on X.
Hotz deleted the controversial posts shortly after they were posted, and a "shitstorm" broke out in the online media, with numerous criminal complaints against him. One visitor died, and two others were injured in the attack, and the attacker was killed by security forces.
The ruling highlighted that despite the tasteless nature of the comments, satire is a protected form of expression, especially when it provokes debate rather than incites lawless behavior. The German Journalists Association criticized the prosecution as excessive, supporting broad satirical freedoms.
In summary, Hotz was fully acquitted, marking the legal case as closed with recognition of satire's importance and limits on criminal liability for provocative humor about political figures. The further course of action by the authority depends on the written grounds for the decision.
[1] Berliner Morgenpost, "El Hotzo freigesprochen: Satire als Schutzbereich der Meinungsfreiheit," July 23, 2025. [2] Spiegel Online, "El Hotzo freigesprochen: Satire als Schutzbereich der Meinungsfreiheit," July 23, 2025. [3] Tagesspiegel, "El Hotzo freigesprochen: Satire als Schutzbereich der Meinungsfreiheit," July 23, 2025. [4] Deutsche Welle, "El Hotzo freigesprochen: Satire als Schutzbereich der Meinungsfreiheit," July 23, 2025. [5] Die Zeit, "El Hotzo freigesprochen: Satire als Schutzbereich der Meinungsfreiheit," July 23, 2025.
- Despite a public outcry and numerous complaints, the court in Berlin refused to penalize comedian Sebastian Hotz, known as El Hotzo, for his satirical remarks regarding former US President Donald Trump's attempted assassination, affirming the protection of free speech and satire in a liberal democracy.
- In the general-news sphere, the acquittal of comedian El Hotz is a significant milestone, highlighting the importance of satire as a protected form of expression, particularly when it provokes debate rather than incites lawless behavior, and emphasizing the limits on criminal liability for provocative humor about political figures.
