Overview
- On June 3, 2025, the Hamburg-Wandsbek district court issued a warning under a suspended 900-euro fine for a 65-year-old who called SPD leader Lars Klingbeil “Dreck” in a March 2024 Telegram video.
- The court imposed an immediate 500-euro payment to a charitable organization, distinguishing it from the suspended penalty and citing the defendant’s lack of prior convictions.
- The insult was prosecuted under Paragraph 188 of Germany’s Criminal Code, which grants extra defamation protection to public figures for statements linked to their official duties.
- Prosecutors also charged the man with illegal firearm possession after discovering a rifle in his garage, but he was cleared when the court found no proof that he knew of the weapon.
- The case proceeded without any formal complaint from Klingbeil or his representatives, underscoring the court’s responsibility to pursue defamation against public officials.