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Germany: Prison for insulting police?

01 March 1996

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The Christian Social Union (CSU) and Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the two main parties forming the ruling conservative-liberal coalition (CDU/CSU/FDP) in Germany, have made proposals which would make it illegal for anyone to describe modern-day German soldiers as "murderers". (A German court recently ruled that it was acceptable to call German soldiers "potential murderers", as long as the statement was clearly identifiable as a literary quotation). The proposed new law envisages a prison sentence of up to 3 years for anyone using the term in the future. The same is to apply for "insulting police officers in a way which is contemptuous of their humanity". Norbert Geis, spokesperson for the CSU, stated that the problem was "that we have an administration of justice at constitutional court level which gives too much preference to freedom of speech as opposed to protecting the honour of individuals". Tageszeitung, 6.2.96; Berlin Antiracist Information network, February 1996.

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