Overview
- Germany’s Kammergericht in Berlin rejected the prosecution’s appeal on Friday, making the earlier acquittal of satirist Sebastian “El Hotzo” Hotz final.
- Prosecutors had argued his X posts approved the July 2024 shooting of Donald Trump and disturbed public peace, and they sought a €6,000 fine for approving a crime.
- Judge Gregor Herb said the “missed last bus” line was classic criticism of those in power and said the second line had to be read in its satirical setting.
- The posts, later deleted, triggered nearly 50 police complaints and a storm of online anger, which pushed the case into a high-profile legal test.
- Press groups warned of a chill on humor as they condemned the persistence of prosecutors, and FAZ noted Hotz lost a radio job after the posts, highlighting real-world costs for satirists.