“Permissible criticism of power”: Pensioner known as Merz “Pinocchio” – public prosecutor closes proceedings | EUROtoday

The description of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) as “Pinocchio” has no authorized penalties for a Facebook consumer. The Heilbronn public prosecutor’s workplace discontinued the proceedings “because this is a criticism of power that is covered by freedom of expression and therefore permissible.” Due to those issues, one other process primarily based on the identical designation was additionally discontinued, it mentioned in an announcement.

During Merz’s go to to Heilbronn in October, customers commented on an area police Facebook submit virtually 400 occasions, the police and public prosecutor’s workplace mentioned. The police headquarters’ contribution was a few flight ban that was imposed throughout the Chancellor’s go to.

The police finally forwarded 38 feedback to the general public prosecutor’s workplace and requested them to examine whether or not they have been criminally liable. Among different issues, the Chancellor was known as “H…son”.

The pensioner himself had expressed outrage on the mail from the prison police. “That’s a joke and completely disproportionate,” he mentioned. Friends and acquaintances thought he was joking, the Heilbronn “Voice” reported.

In an announcement to the police, he described his remark as an “ambiguous, symbolic and satirical expression of opinion in a political context”.