German investigators launch raids over election hate speech

Berlin, Mar 22: German investigators on Tuesday searched houses and apartments and questioned a number of people in a crackdown on hate posts against politicians.

The investigation came after legislation was introduced last year that provides for harsh penalties for those who slander and abuse people "in political life."

No arrests have yet been reported.

What were the raids about?

The raids resulted from an analysis of over 600 posts on social media for criminal content, according to the Frankfurt prosecutor's office and the Federal Criminal PoliceOffice (BKA).

More than 100 suspects were targeted in 13 German states, they said.

The hate posts were made in connection with last year's federal election in September.

"Freedom of opinion has its limits as soon as slander, abuse and threats come into it," said BKA President Holger Münch, adding that "anyone posting hate speech has to reckon with police at their door afterward."

In a joint statement, the Frankfurt prosecutors and the BKA said some of the posts contained abuse of prominent politicians in all the parties represented in parliament, with two-thirds of the targets being women.

Other posts contained misleading reports and quotes that had been officially documented as false, aimed at discrediting and defaming the targeted politicians, they said.

Police said raids took place in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Thuringia.

Tuesday's operation "makes clear the scale on which office-holders are being insulted, slandered and threatened online,'' said Torsten Kunze, the top prosecutor in Germany's central state of Hesse, in a statement.

Source: DW