Germany’s war on free speech: Woman FINED for using thumbs-up emoji

07/02/2025 / By Ramon Tomey

A German woman was fined €1,800 ($2,127) for using thumbs-up emojis under a post about a Swedish girl killing her migrant rapist. Prosecutors claimed she violated laws against “publicly approving an intentional killing” and mocked the victim’s migrant status.
Nonverbal digital gestures are being criminalized, as authorities argued her reaction (three thumbs-up) expressed “particular pleasure” in the killing, setting a dangerous precedent for subjective interpretation of online interactions.
Similar crackdowns on dissent include a Bavarian pensioner arrested and raided for retweeting a satirical meme calling Economy Minister Robert Habeck an “idiot,” classified as a “politically motivated right-wing crime.”
Critics warn of digital authoritarianism, comparing Germany’s speech laws to Stasi-era oppression, especially as the Green Party pushes for “reporting centers” where citizens can denounce offensive speech — echoing historic surveillance tactics.
Selective enforcement protects powerholders, as courts occasionally rule in favor of free speech (e.g., a businessman’s satire of Habeck). But most dissenters face disproportionate fines, raids or prosecution under hate speech laws.

A woman from Germany has been slapped with a €1,800 ($2,127) fine for using thumbs-up emojis in support of a post about a Swedish girl killing her migrant rapist.

The 64-year-old woman from the Lohfelden municipality in Germany’s Hesse state responded to the provocative social media post on Oct. 26, 2023. She used three thumbs-up emojis to express her agreement with the Swedish girl’s act of self-defense. But this merited a thumbs-down from government prosecutors, who interpreted the reaction as endorsing vigilantism and mocking the deceased.

The Kassel Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) issued a formal penalty notice to the woman months later. It argued that her reaction violated Section 140 of the German Criminal Code by “publicly approving an intentional killing” and expressing “particular pleasure” that the victim was a migrant.

The woman retains the right to appeal the penalty. But if a court upholds the fine, it sets a precedent that even nonverbal digital gestures can be criminalized based on subjective interpretation.

The woman’s case isn’t unique, however. Authorities in the neighboring Bavaria state raided a pensioner’s home and arrested him for retweeting a meme that decried former Economy Minister Robert Habeck an “idiot.” (Related: Police raid German pensioner’s home, drag him to court for retweeting meme mocking Green minister as “idiot”.)

The pensioner simply reposted a satirical image altering Habeck’s likeness. But this did not sit well with the Bamberg PPO, who classified his act as “politically motivated right-wing crime” under federal hate speech laws.

Germany’s crackdown on political dissent

These incidents, occurring under statutes originally designed to combat hate speech, raise urgent questions about whether Berlin’s approach echoes the draconian censorship of its totalitarian past. Critics have decried the actions as an an alarming slide toward digital authoritarianism.

The Bavarian pensioner’s case also highlighted how German law enforcement applies disproportionate force against political dissent. The pensioner himself likened the raid to tactics employed by East Germany’s Stasi, infamous for surveilling and punishing ideological opponents.

The Alternative for Germany party condemned the arrest as proof of Habeck’s intolerance for criticism. It warned in a post on X that Germany under his leadership would mean “complete restriction of freedom of expression.”

Historical parallels are impossible to ignore. The German Greens, Habeck’s political party, now advocating for neighborhood “reporting centers” to flag offensive speech. This mirrors past regimes where citizens spied on one another to enforce ideological conformity.

Courts have occasionally pushed back, as in the case of businessman Michael Much, whose satirical posters mocking Habeck were ruled protected speech. But such victories are rare.

The message is clear: Speech laws protect the powerful, not the public. As digital dissenters face fines and SWAT-style raids, Germany’s slide toward speech suppression invites scrutiny not just of its laws, but of whether it has truly learned the lessons of its 20th-century past.

Watch this video about police in Germany raiding people’s homes for insulting politicians.

This video is from the What is happening channel on Brighteon.com.