Krefeld Christian Democrat charged following hate video
A young CDU supporter from Krefeld faces investigation by authorities over a racist online clip. The public prosecutor's office and state security service are examining whether the remarks can be classified as incitement to hatred.
Krefeld Christian Democrat charged following hate video
The judicial authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia are investigating the case of a 23-year-old man who belongs to the Christian Democratic Union and is alleged to have called for violence against a religious minority in a viral internet clip. The responsible prosecutor's office is working together with the political police to determine whether the legal requirements for a charge of incitement against population groups are met.
A spokesperson for the Krefeld authority confirmed to news agency dpa in Düsseldorf that the local party branch itself filed a criminal complaint. In addition, investigations are being conducted into which platforms the material was distributed on. The district association had previously announced that it would initiate proceedings to revoke the man's party membership.
In the film circulated via social networks, the young politician is said to have proposed murdering members of the Islamic faith. He is alleged to have made reference to historical crimes and cited them as a model for new acts of violence. When a conversation partner raised concerns, he is said to have responded by arguing that he would do as he pleased.
The matter was made public by a well-known internet activist who regularly deals with digital hate speech. The pixelated film material has since been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. The activist provided sharp commentary on the scenes and asked who could say such abhorrent things.
The local party branch distanced itself publicly from the man's words. In a statement, the organisation explained that such positions stood in stark contrast to its own principles. There was no room in the CDU for antisemitism, racism or religious hatred.
The video portal in question stated that the original material did not come from its platform. Furthermore, it said it had so far found no user account belonging to the accused.
At federal level, the case provoked sharp reactions. A Left party member of parliament called for clarification as to whether the person concerned had previously attracted attention through similar extremist remarks. The deputy president of the Green party parliamentary group also emphasised that this was no trivial offence.
State-level politicians from the Christian Democrats condemned the man's words as revolting and contemptuous of human dignity.
Source: WELT
Source: Google News LU DE