The decision marks a rare legal victory for satire in a climate where political humor increasingly faces judicial scrutiny.

A German appeals court has overturned the conviction of Deutschland-Kurier editor-in-chief David Bendels, ruling that his online satire aimed at Interior Minister Nancy Faeser was protected expression rather than criminal defamation.

The dispute arose from a meme Bendels shared in February 2024. The image showed Faeser holding a sign that read, “I hate freedom of expression.” It was based on an authentic photograph taken at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, where Faeser’s placard had originally said, “We Remember.”

Prosecutors charged Bendels under Section 188 of the German Criminal Code, a clause that allows penalties for defamation of public figures.

The Bamberg District Court accepted the government’s argument that the meme could be mistaken for a real photograph and might damage the minister’s reputation.

...read more at reclaimthenet.org