A German court has fined Petr Bystron, a member of the European Parliament for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), €11,250 for sharing a meme. The meme depicted several German politicians symbolically "waving goodbye" to Ukraine's former ambassador Andrij Melnyk. Prosecutors argued that the raised hands in the image resembled "Hitler salutes," thus constituting the "use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations."
The meme was intended as political satire, criticizing Berlin's support for Melnyk, who had previously praised Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera. Despite this context, Bystron's actions were treated as criminal rather than satirical.
Melnyk faced backlash after stating that Bandera was "no mass murderer of Jews or Poles," causing outrage in Poland and Israel. However, there was no significant reaction in Berlin, and Melnyk was later promoted to Deputy Foreign Minister by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Bystron noted that his meme remained online without issue until the 2024 EU election campaign when prosecutors initiated legal action against him. He commented on what he perceived as political motives behind the case: "The judiciary is being used as a political weapon to discredit the AfD."
In contrast, Germany's mainstream magazine Stern published a cover in 2017 depicting Donald Trump performing a Nazi salute with no legal repercussions. This disparity highlights differing treatments based on political affiliations.
Bystron has previously faced similar accusations; in 2022, he was accused of performing a Hitler salute at an anti-lockdown protest simply because he waved to the crowd. The case was dropped after evidence showed Angela Merkel making a similar gesture.
Bystron criticized these legal actions as politically motivated and inconsistent with Article 3 of Germany’s Basic Law, which ensures equal treatment under the law. He argues that while left-wing media can use Nazi imagery against conservatives without consequence, conservatives are penalized for exposing Nazi apologism.
The case raises concerns about freedom of expression and political bias within Germany's judicial system. Bystron's conviction underscores tensions surrounding political discourse and censorship in Europe.
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