M Ministry of Truth

Journalist Given 7 Month PRISON SENTENCE For Posting MEME About Erosion Of Free Speech

Steve Watson

9th April 2025

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And a fine of 60% of his income

A journalist in Germany has been sentenced to seven months in prison on probation as well as a fine of almost sixty percent of his annual income. His crime? Posting a meme.

Yes really.

Worse still, it was a meme mocking the German government for eroding freedom of speech.

Die Welt reports that a district court in Bavaria handed the sentence to Deutschland-Kurier editor David Bendels for posting an image on social media of German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser holding a sign.

The sign was digitally altered to read “I hate freedom of speech.”

#Faeser HASST #Meinungsfreiheit! pic.twitter.com/O0Wr0dLpJb

— Deutschland Kurier (@Deu_Kurier) February 28, 2024

The ruling was confirmed Monday, finding that the journalist had committed “defamation directed against people in political life.”

Bendels claims that no one has ever been sentenced to prison for such an action in Germany, and that the harsh punishment comes after Faeser personally intervened.

Bendels stated “We will not accept this verdict and will defend ourselves against it using all legal means,” adding “The Deutschland-Kurier and I personally will continue the just struggle for freedom of the press and freedom of expression, which is indispensable for the continued existence of democracy in Germany, resolutely, stably and with all consistency.”

Commenting on the ruling, regional leader of the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Thuringia, Björn Höcke urged “German politicians, responsible for the deindustrialization of our country and tearing its citizens apart from each other made Germany a laughingstock of the world.”

“They armor themselves and attack freedom of speech again and again, ending our constitutional democracy,” Höcke further asserted.

“We have been warned by Donald Trump and Elon Musk: The enemies of freedom are found within the EU-governments!” he emphasised.

As we have previously highlighted, this insane authoritarian crack down on people posting memes is now commonplace in Germany.

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