German satirist acquitted over mockery of Trump assassination attempt
Following the shooting during a US election campaign rally last July, Sebastian Hotz, known online as "El Hotzo", wrote a post on X asking what Trump and the "last bus" had in common, before saying that both had "unfortunately just been missed."
In a follow-up post, the 29-year-old said: "I find it absolutely fantastic when fascists die."
A gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Trump's ear and killing one of his supporters in the crowd. Trump went on to win the White House in November.
Prosecutors charged Hotz with approval of offences over the posts, and at a one-day trial at the Tiergarten district court in Berlin, they called for him to be given a €6,000 fine.
They argued that the posts fell into the category of hate crimes and, because Hotz has nearly 740,000 followers on X, could disturb the public peace.
Hotz argued that what a satirist says should be understood as comedy, and that "playing with provocation" is his job.
In her ruling, Judge Andrea Wilms said that Hotz's post was clearly recognisable as satire and should go unpunished, even if the comments may have been tasteless.
She argued that no one would feel called upon to commit acts of violence by "such clearly satirical utterances," according to a court statement.
Following his acquittal, Hotz shared on X a photo of Trump in the aftermath of the assassination attempt. In the photo, Trump can be seen with his face smeared with blood and his right fist raised while being escorted away by Secret Service agents.
The German Journalists' Association earlier this week criticised the trial as excessive and said that the case should be closed, arguing that satirical freedom should be interpreted generously.
It noted that public broadcaster RBB already terminated its work with Hotz as a result of the post.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Peace offering? Donald Trump's Nobel obsession
"It's well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on July 31, prompting reactions of disbelief and sarcasm from the Republican leader's opponents. Since his January 20 return to power, the US president "has brokered, on average, one peace deal or ceasefire per month," Leavitt said, citing as examples his mediations between India and Pakistan; Cambodia and Thailand; Egypt and Ethiopia; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Serbia and Kosovo; and others. His leading spokeswoman also mentioned Iran, where Trump ordered US strikes against the Islamic republic's nuclear facilities, as evidence of decisions Leavitt claims have contributed to world peace. She made no mention of the conflict in Ukraine, which Trump pledged multiple times to end on "day one" of his term, or the war in Gaza, which rumbles on and for which the US supplies Israel with weapons. Pakistan, Israel For some foreign leaders, mentioning the prestigious award has become a sign of diplomatic goodwill toward an American president who envisions himself as a peacemaker. Pakistan nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, as did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During an early July meeting at the White House, a journalist asked the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, and Gabon whether Trump deserved the award. Basking in the flattering responses from the African leaders, a smiling Trump said: "We could do this all day long." Tens of thousands of people can offer a nomination to the Nobel committee, including lawmakers, ministers, certain university professors, former laureates and members of the committee themselves. Nominations are due by January 31, with the announcement coming in October -- this year on the 10th of the month. Law professor Anat Alon-Beck, who is an Israeli-American, submitted Trump's name to the committee's five members, who were appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. The assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law told AFP she did so because of the "extraordinary leadership" and "strategic brilliance" he has shown, in her opinion, in advancing peace and securing the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. 'Never' getting the Nobel For some, the prospect of handing the prize to someone who has upended the international order is untenable. "Nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is like entering a hyena in a dog show," US history and politics researcher Emma Shortis wrote on news site The Conversation. "Of course Trump does not deserve it." The American president disagrees. "I deserve it, but they will never give it to me," Trump told reporters in February as he hosted Netanyahu at the White House, lamenting not ticking the Nobel box in his life. "No, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be," Trump griped on his Truth Social platform in June. "But the people know, and that's all that matters to me!" Trump is well-known as someone who is particularly fond of accolades and prizes, Garret Martin, a professor of international relations at American University, told AFP, "so he would welcome this major international recognition." And since the beginning of his presidential ambitions 10 years ago, "he has put himself in opposition to Barack Obama, who famously won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009," Martin added. The prize awarded to the Democratic former president, barely nine months after he took office, sparked heated debate -- and continues to do so. "If I were named Obama I would have had the Nobel Prize given to me in 10 seconds," Trump bellyached in October 2024, during the final stretch of the presidential campaign. 338 candidates Three other US presidents have also been so honored: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Jimmy Carter. The prize was also awarded to Henry Kissinger in 1973 for his efforts to help end the war in Vietnam. The choice of the one-time US secretary of state was heavily criticized. The full list of Nobel Peace Prize nominees is confidential -- except for individual announcements by sponsors -- but their number is made public. In 2025, there are 338 nominees. Some betting sites have Trump in second place to win, behind Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
France 24
12 hours ago
- France 24
FRANCE 24 report in Sweida: Tens of thousands displaced since clashes began
02:58 02/08/2025 Italy to begin air drops of aid into Gaza, minister says Middle East 01/08/2025 Trump's envoy visits an aid distribution center in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip Middle East 01/08/2025 France sending 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza, foreign minister says Middle East 01/08/2025 US special envoy Witkoff to visit Gaza to assess humanitarian crisis Middle East 01/08/2025 Trump envoy to visit aid sites as humanitarian disaster worsens in Gaza Middle East 01/08/2025 'Mathematics of starvation': The Guardian on famine in Gaza Middle East 31/07/2025 Arab nations call on Hamas to disarm and relinquish control of Gaza Middle East 31/07/2025 Dozens killed in Gaza after Israeli forces open fire on crowd seeking food Middle East 30/07/2025 'It's too late: We have not prevented this genocide, but pressure is building to stop it' Middle East
France 24
13 hours ago
- France 24
Dmitry Medvedev: Russia's hawkish ex-president
The 59-year-old, who served as head of state between 2008 and 2012, sought "friendly" ties with Europe and the United States during his single term but faded into obscurity after handing the post back to President Vladimir Putin. Demoted to prime minister in 2012 and then made deputy head of Russia's security council in 2020 -- a largely advisory role -- Medvedev began espousing hardline views on social media shortly after Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive. In public statements since the conflict began he has described Westerners as "bastards and degenerates", declared that "Ukraine is, of course, Russia" and raised the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Russia's enemies. In June, after the US launched air strikes on nuclear facilities in Moscow-allied Iran, Medvedev suggested that "a number of countries" were willing to provide Tehran with nuclear warheads, prompting an angry Trump to accuse him of "casually" threatening a nuclear strike. On Thursday, Medvedev alluded to Moscow's semi-automatic "Dead Hand" nuclear arms control system in a Telegram post criticising Trump. Medvedev's critics have derided his posts as an attempt to retain political relevance in Russia's crowded elite circles, but Trump has taken the threats seriously. "Based on the highly provocative statements," Trump said Friday, "I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that." Tandem rule Medvedev's often incendiary posts contrast sharply with his public image in office, when he declared Russia did not want confrontation with "any country" as part of his foreign policy doctrine. In 2010, he signed a nuclear arms reduction treaty with US President Barack Obama, while in 2011 he brought Russia into the World Trade Organisation after 18 years of negotiations. On his watch, Moscow also abstained in a key UN Security Council vote on Libya in 2011 that paved the way for a NATO-led military intervention, a decision Putin has relentlessly criticised since. But it was always clear who was the senior partner in a pairing dubbed Batman and Robin by a secret US cable. Medvedev's first act after winning a 2008 presidential election on the back of Putin's support was to appoint the Russian strongman as prime minister, giving Putin broad decision-making power. While some in the West greeted Medvedev's arrival, others saw him as simply a placeholder for Putin, who was able to circumvent constitutional term limits and remain in de facto power. In 2008 Russia sent troops into Georgia, fracturing relations with the West, a decision that Medvedev insisted he made but that a top general claimed was planned by Putin before Medvedev was even inaugurated. His trademark modernisation programme was marked by bold statements but was also mercilessly mocked by commentators for being short on actions as Putin held real power. Putin's protege Medvedev, born in Putin's home town of Leningrad, owes his entire political career to the former KGB agent. Putin took his protege to Moscow after being appointed prime minister in 1999 and Medvedev rapidly rose to become chairman of gas giant Gazprom. He also served as chief of staff at the Kremlin and as first deputy prime minister. After taking office, he said Russia's economy had reached a "dead end" and required urgent reform. But cynics pointed out that such words counted for little when Russia was still dominated by Putin, and Medvedev himself played down the idea there was any radical difference in their visions. After championing anti-corruption measures while in office, Medvedev was himself accused of graft in 2017, when late opposition leader Alexei Navalny alleged he had built a luxury property empire using embezzled funds. Navalny was labelled an "extremist" by Russian authorities in 2021. While liberals and the West hoped Medvedev would reverse the increase in state control and erosion of civil liberties during Putin's previous rule, he showed little desire for a radical break with Putin's legacy. "Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin really is modern Russia's most popular, experienced and successful politician," Medvedev said during an attempt to explain why he was standing down in favour of Putin in 2012.
