Overview

• The Deutsche Polizeigewerkschaft filed a program complaint with the ZDF Fernsehrat on June 3 over the March 28 episode that accused the Bundespolizei of sabotaging the Afghan intake program.
• The complaint asserts that Jan Böhmermann personally defamed deputy chairman Manuel Ostermann with derogatory labels including “Herrenmensch im Skoda” and a “Blitzkriegfrisur.”
• The union is calling for the episode’s removal from the ZDF Mediathek and all platforms, a formal retraction of Böhmermann’s claims and a public apology to Ostermann.
• ZDF has acknowledged receipt of the complaint and will process it through its multi-step program complaint procedure while defending its editorial standards.
• The dispute underscores broader criticism of the Bundesaufnahmeprogramm für Afghanistan, which has faced scrutiny for security lapses and delays, and raises debate over the boundaries of satirical reporting.