Court Case Looms: AfD Politician Challenges Penal Order
AfD Politician Files Objection Against Penal Order - German politician fights €20,000 fine for calling journalist a 'fascist' on X
The legal dispute between AfD politician Stephan Brandner and a journalist is set to continue in court, with Brandner facing allegations of insult and incitement to insult.
The legal conflict between Stephan Brandner, an AfD member of the Bundestag and deputy federal chairman of the party, and a journalist is now heading to trial. According to the Gera District Court, Brandner has filed an objection against a penal order, meaning a main hearing will be scheduled.
Court documents state that Brandner is accused of three counts of insult as well as incitement to insult. He allegedly referred to a journalist on X (formerly Twitter) as a "fascist" and "head fascist" on multiple occasions.
Preliminary Injunction Issued by Court
Brandner argued that the core issue is whether calling someone a fascist constitutes an insult or an expression of opinion. "My position is clear: it is an expression of opinion," he told the German Press Agency (dpa) in Erfurt. He claimed the term is used so frequently that it has become an everyday, if exaggerated, expression that should not be legally actionable as an insult.
The Berlin Regional Court had issued a preliminary injunction barring Brandner from using these terms. In response, Brandner reportedly posted: "What I am not allowed to do, perhaps others can." He also allegedly offered a reward for legally sound and binding support of his views. The Gera District Court confirmed that the penal order included a fine of €20,000—equivalent to 80 daily rates.
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