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| Europe |
| Germany mulling Turkey’s prosecution request for satirist |
| 2016-04-12 |
| [Iran Press TV] German officials say they are examining a formal request by ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... to prosecute a satirist for reciting a poem on TV mocking Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan. Government front man Steffen Seibert said on Monday that officials are carefully examining a request by Turkish embassy for "criminal prosecution" of Jan Boehmermann who read a satirical poem on ZDF television about Erdogan two weeks ago. "The Turkish embassy, in connection with the ZDF broadcast 'Neo Magazin Royale', sent a cable to the foreign ministry," Seibert said, adding, "The content of this cable and the way forward will now be carefully examined by the government." Seibert said the review would decide in a matter of days whether a probe could be launched under Section 103 of the criminal code which addresses cases of insulting organs or representatives of foreign states. According to the law, the charges can carry a sentence of up to three years in prison. The official said, however, that Germany will remain committed to its constitutional obligation on freedom of expression. "This applies, and this is very important to me, regardless of whether the chancellor personally finds something artistically successful or repellent, tasteful or tasteless," he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 It's not like it's the camel's nose under the schnitzel More like the camel's turd all over the schnitzel. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2016-04-12 15:17 |
| #3 Germany's looking for a loophole like Obama's excuse for jailing a video director/writer about Benghazi. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2016-04-12 08:07 |
| #2 The Germans need the Turks to help with the refugee And come on, it's just one teensy, weensy, little compromise with Western values. It's not like it's the camel's nose under the schnitzel |
| Posted by: SteveS 2016-04-12 01:46 |
| #1 The official said, however, that Germany will remain committed to its constitutional obligation on freedom of expression. The why are you mulling it over? Seems to me Section 103 of the criminal code and this alleged commitment to freedom of expression are at loggerheads. |
| Posted by: Raj 2016-04-12 00:15 |