Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

German Journalist Given Seven Month Sentence for Meme Mocking Government’s ‘Hatred’ of Free Speech
Breitbart ^ | 04/09/2025 | Kurt Zindulka

Posted on 04/11/2025 3:02:51 PM PDT by DFG

Germany has been accused of violating basic Western values yet again, as a news editor in Germany faces a hefty fine and a seven month prison sentence for posting a meme mocking the government’s “hatred” of free speech.

The Bamberg district court in Bavaria sentenced Deutschland-Kurier editor David Bendels this week to seven months in prison on probation and a fine of nearly sixty per cent of his annual income, or 210 ‘daily rates’, for posting an image on social media of Interior Minister Nancy Faeser holding an altered sign.

The common meme tactic of changing the words on signs held by politicians for satirical purposes was used to make Faeser’s sign read: “I hate freedom of speech”.

Bendels was initially convicted in November, and the ruling was confirmed on Monday, finding that he had committed “defamation directed against people in political life,” Die Welt reported on Tuesday.

According to Bendels, it is the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany that a journalist has been threatened with prison for breaching the statute.

The Kurier editor also claimed that the prosecution was prompted after Interior Minister Faeser personally filed a complaint against him.

Bendels said on Monday that he plans to appeal the ruling, saying: “We will not accept this verdict and will defend ourselves against it using all legal means.

“The Deutschland-Kurier and I personally will continue the just struggle for freedom of the press and freedom of expression, which is indispensable for the continued existence of democracy in Germany, resolutely, stably and with all consistency.”

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: davidbendels; deathtonazis; defundnato; destroytheeu; deutschlanduberalles; eurofascism; fascistfaeser; fourthreich; nancyfaeser; nancyfascist; spd
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

1 posted on 04/11/2025 3:02:51 PM PDT by DFG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: DFG

2 posted on 04/11/2025 3:03:36 PM PDT by DFG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

From the depths of Hell and eternal torment, Hitler smiles.


3 posted on 04/11/2025 3:05:54 PM PDT by Antihero101607
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG; RitaOK; AFB-XYZ; bitt

“I personally will continue the just struggle for freedom of the press and freedom of expression, which is indispensable for the continued existence of democracy”

Dude, it was democracy that got your ass convicted.


4 posted on 04/11/2025 3:08:33 PM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Alteration; The acronym defines the science.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

Germany will always slide back to its modern roots. Hegel. Nietzsche, Schopenhauer.... prophets of doom. Shut up slaves. All hail the Fatherland.


5 posted on 04/11/2025 3:13:26 PM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

SPD, governing partners with the CDU.


6 posted on 04/11/2025 3:15:45 PM PDT by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG
German Journalist Given Seven Month Sentence for Meme Mocking Government’s ‘Hatred’ of Free Speech

Isn't irony ironic?

7 posted on 04/11/2025 3:19:22 PM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG
"Ve belieff in ze freedom of speech und if you zay ozzerwise ve vill haff you SHOT!"

Hmm...well, alrighty then...

8 posted on 04/11/2025 3:19:36 PM PDT by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

The irony is glaring.


9 posted on 04/11/2025 3:22:57 PM PDT by MayflowerMadam (It's hard not to celebrate the fall of bad people. - Bongino)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

Take that as a badge of honor and then run for elected office


10 posted on 04/11/2025 3:32:48 PM PDT by blitz128
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

Ich hasse die meinungsfrieheit = I hate freedom of speech


11 posted on 04/11/2025 3:46:04 PM PDT by null and void (Start with the jab, end on a slab)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

I hate Europe.

Screw them. Get out if NATO. Let them defend themselves. Too busy surrendering to their Muslim overlords anyway.


12 posted on 04/11/2025 3:52:02 PM PDT by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

Klause is one of the new Nazis.


13 posted on 04/11/2025 3:59:44 PM PDT by neverevergiveup
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: DFG

I thought maybe that was Joe Biden 🤣🤪


14 posted on 04/11/2025 4:01:09 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: DFG

“Fahrvergnügen! Fahrvergnügen! Fahrvergnügen! Bring me Fahrvergnügen!”
BMW owners everywhere


15 posted on 04/11/2025 4:04:09 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

When Germany unified wasn’t the communist part supposed to disappear?


16 posted on 04/11/2025 4:05:46 PM PDT by xp38
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DFG

EU/Deutschland GeStasi


17 posted on 04/11/2025 4:16:24 PM PDT by A strike ("My country is fd up. I demand you let us in to fix yours..")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Antihero101607

Some philosopher once said that if you give the American people and the German people a choice between chaos or injustice that the Americans would prefer chaos over injustice, and the Germans would choose injustice over chaos.
A very strong authoritarian streak has always run through German culture going back centuries, as in; ‘do as you’re told or suffer the consequences’.

Oddly enough, the Japanese have an ancient saying “… the nail that sticks up gets hammered down …”. They’re very strong on conformity.
Maybe that explains, at least in small part anyway, being culturally simpatico with the Germans and their joining ranks against America 85 years ago.

They’re afraid of freedom, including freedom of thought and the freedom of expression.
Both cultures have a great deal in common with America’s political left.

The attempt to put President Trump in prison to prevent his return to power is a perfect example, and very similar to the jailing of this German journalist.

I’m beginning to think that the only hope to save Europe from itself is another D - Day Invasion, this time to defeat the communist leaders of the European Union.
It will never happen of course, but they’re so far gone that Europe is no longer Europe, and the distinct cultural differences of each nation has morphed into an unrecognizable heap of inescapable liberal horseshit.

Shameful treason.


18 posted on 04/11/2025 4:35:52 PM PDT by Thapsus_epiphany (Socialism is a prison, Communism is a death camp )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Thapsus_epiphany

(They’re afraid of freedom, including freedom of thought and the freedom of expression.)

Imagine if she had posted some memes with Bible verses

That will eventually be outlawed

And a few will cheer....


19 posted on 04/11/2025 4:49:50 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: SaveFerris

Many places in Europe already outlaw the Bible and Christianity.

The Bible condemns the two holiest sacraments of the liberal left, homosexuality and abortion.

The international political left sees Christian beliefs as the greatest existential threat that must be eradicated.

Biden’s DOJ targeted conservative Catholics for this very reason.

Leftism everywhere must be crushed politically, meaning permanently discredited and impotent, without power.

Christianity is the foundation and rock that the West was built upon.

Without it, Western Civilization and freedom will disappear, probably for all time.


20 posted on 04/11/2025 8:57:00 PM PDT by Thapsus_epiphany (Socialism is a prison, Communism is a death camp )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson