Overview

• The European Parliament voted to lift the immunity of AfD MEP Petr Bystron on April 1, 2025, following a request from the Munich I Prosecutor's Office.
• The investigation centers on a 2022 social media post featuring a collage that allegedly depicts public figures performing the Hitler salute, which prosecutors argue promotes unconstitutional symbols.
• Bystron has denied the allegations, invoking artistic freedom as a defense and claiming the investigation is politically motivated due to his role in the AfD and the EU election cycle.
• The Bundestag had previously lifted Bystron's immunity in 2023 for the same case before he was elected to the European Parliament in 2024.
• Separate allegations of bribery and money laundering linked to the prorussian portal 'Voice of Europe' are under investigation, but no decision on immunity for those charges has yet been made.