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7h ago

Berlin Court Acquits Activist Over Fake AfD Letters, Citing Artistic Freedom

Prosecutors have one week to challenge the ruling.

Philipp Ruch, der Leiter des Zentrums für Politische Schönheit, musste sich heute wegen Urkundenfälschung vor Gericht verantworten. Es ging um eine Anti-AfD-Aktion.
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Der Leiter des Zentrum für Politische Schönheit, Philipp Ruch, muss sich heute vor dem Amtsgericht Tiergarten wegen Urkundenfälschung verantworten. Ihm wird vorgeworfen, die Unterschriften der AfD-Chefs Alice Weidel und Tino Chrupalla gefälscht zu haben.

Overview

  • A Berlin-Tiergarten district court acquitted Philipp Ruch after determining the stunt met forgery elements but was protected as art under Article 5 of the Basic Law.
  • The November 2023 letters posed as communications from the AfD federal office, used the party logo and signatures of Alice Weidel, Tino Chrupalla, and Alexander Gauland, and offered incentives for internal reports.
  • A court spokeswoman confirmed the decision and the judge’s reliance on artistic freedom to justify the acquittal.
  • Berlin prosecutors charged Ruch with document forgery and requested a €7,200 fine in their closing argument.
  • The ruling is not final, and a separate 2024 conviction related to the “Flyerservice Hahn” action remains under appeal.