quarta-feira, 18 de maio de 2016

Court bans German comedian from reciting parts of Erdoğan poem


Court bans German comedian from reciting parts of Erdoğan poem
Sexual references involving the Turkish president in Jan Böhmermann’s satire were ruled unacceptable.

By CYNTHIA KROET 5/18/16, 8:31 AM CET

The Hamburg regional court on Tuesday banned German comedian Jan Böhmermann from reciting parts of his poem in which he offended Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In line with German freedom of expression laws, the court ruled that the comedian can still recite 6 of the 24 lines of his satire.


If Böhmermann cites the banned parts again, he faces a €250,000 fine or a prison sentence of 6 months.

The court said that “Erdoğan does not have to put up with the expression of certain passages in view of their outrageous content attacking (his) honor.”

It acknowledges that Böhmermann’s poem, which he recited during his satirical show on German public television, was a satire, but said the sexual references directed at the Turkish president, were unacceptable.

The satirist’s lawyer Christian Schertz, who is likely to appeal the ruling said the court’s decision is “wrong” and “against artistic freedom.”

The recital has caused a diplomatic row between Germany and Turkey and Chancellor Angela Merkel authorized criminal proceedings against the comedian after Turkey requested he be prosecuted for offending a foreign head of state under an obscure law.

Authors:


Cynthia Kroet  

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