Overview

• The Amtsgericht Bamberg sentenced David Bendels, editor of Deutschland-Kurier, to a seven-month suspended prison term for defaming Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser through a manipulated image.
• The court determined that the meme falsely implied Faeser opposed freedom of expression, significantly harming her public reputation.
• Bendels is required to issue a written apology to Faeser as part of the court's ruling, which also nullifies an earlier financial penalty issued in November 2024.
• The manipulated image originated from a legitimate 2023 photo published by the Bundesinnenministerium during a Holocaust remembrance campaign.
• Bendels has declared his intention to contest the verdict through all available legal avenues, with the ruling not yet finalized.