Germany to abolish law on insulting foreign heads of states

[Independent voter]

What do you think brought this on?





http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nati...128611769.html

BERLIN
Germany's government says it's getting out of the business of defending the honor of foreign leaders.
Justice Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday said Germany was abolishing a law requiring the government's permission to allow the prosecution of anyone deemed to have insulted a foreign head of state, saying it was "outdated and unnecessary."
Last year, the German government was put in the awkward position of having to grant a Turkish request to allow prosecutors to investigate a TV comic who wrote a crude poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Prosecutors later dropped the investigation of comic Jan Boehmermann, citing insufficient evidence that he committed any crime.
The case had complicated already tense relations between Berlin and Ankara.
Insulted foreign leaders can still pursue their own libel and defamation cases.

[Deleted]

Good, after that Turkey business it was clear its intend was being misused.

[Teebone]

What do you think brought this on?

I bet that bastard Alec Baldwin is behind this! Throw him in jail!

/s

[Aeula]

I know everyone's gonna scream Trump, but the case mentioned was pretty awkward in this day and age. I mean a comic investigated for insulting the Turkish leader? Really?

[ranzino]

About time.
"governmental permission" was always a bad choice; government should have never meddled in court affairs.

- - - Updated - - -

I know everyone's gonna scream Trump, but the case mentioned was pretty awkward in this day and age. I mean a comic investigated for insulting the Turkish leader? Really?

it was about the poem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6hmermann_affair

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I know everyone's gonna scream Trump, but the case mentioned was pretty awkward in this day and age. I mean a comic investigated for insulting the Turkish leader? Really?

Well, obviously this is directly influenced by the Turkish Situation...they've probably been looking into this since it happened, which was well-before Trump was elected. Still though...having just dealt with one thin-skinned world leader's attempts to exploit this outdated law...they probably weren't looking forward to another round from any other thin-skinned world leaders.

[Kalis]

it was about the poem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6hmermann_affair

Lots of people write poems about Erdogan.

There was a young fellow from Ankara

Who was a terrific wankerer

Till he sowed his wild oats

With the help of a goat

But he didn’t even stop to thankera.


- Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

[Slant]

Before this thread is soaked in half knowledge... the main reason this was abolished was not Erdogan himself. Erdogan merely brought something to light that was overlooked. §103 protecting foreign heads of state (up to 3 years in prison) would be abolished while §185 protecting everyone (up to 1 year in prison) is still providing adequate protection as it was decided that foreign heads of states do not require more protection than regular citizens. Nobody knew why 103 was still in effect and what the original intent behind it was, except for the obvious, of course.

So, this is really just trimming down the fat and nothing really worth an article in a foreign regional newspaper.