Lutz Bachmann, the founder of Germany's far-right anti-Islamist movement, has practically made a habit out of appearing in court. Over the past few decades, the now 43-year-old has been convicted of drug-dealing, drunken driving, and assault, to name a few.
Now he's back on trial in the eastern German city of Dresden on charges he incited racial hatred by posting on Facebook that refugees fleeing to Germany from war zones in the Middle East are "scumbags" and "filth." He also referred to them as "cattle."
He entered the courtroom Tuesday wearing a jean jacket and black sunglasses meant to mimic a censorship bar. Although he did not speak to reporters, in February he posted on social media that the case is "a constructed and politically motivated trial."
Bachmann's movement, PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of Europe), gained strength in its inflammatory social media presence, and by 2015 was hosting rallies in Germany that attracted tens of thousands of people.
According to the Dresden court, Bachmann's comments, which date back as far as 2014 and were widely shared on social media, "disrupted public order" and were an "attack on the dignity" of innocent people fleeing war.
If Bachmann is found guilty, he could serve up to five years in prison.
His group's rise has also coincided with the emergence of other right-wing groups, an increase in hate speech toward migrants and refugees, as well as attacks on refugee camps and shelters throughout Germany. Many of his supporters later joined the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany, which has described Islam as a "foreign body in Germany." This week, AfG deputy leader Beatrix von Storch, who is also a member of the European parliament, told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that the party is "in favor of a ban on minarets, on muezzins, as well as full veils."
Aiman Mazyek, chairman of Germany's Central Council of Muslims, said Monday that these kind of remarks amount to religious hatred as extreme as Nazism. "For the first time since Hitler's Germany there is a party that again seeks to discredit an entire religious community and threatens its existence," Mazyek said.
The Washington Post
Wed Apr 20 2016
If Bachmann is found guilty, he could serve up to five years in prison.
Dialog Anak Muda: Belanjawan 2025: Macam mana ok?
Rasionalisasi subsidi RON95, kadar baharu gaji minima dan pemerkasaan TVET antara tumpuan dalam pembentangan Belanjawan 2025. Analisis isu-isu ekonomi diteruskan dalam Dialog Anak Muda 8.30 malam ini.
AWANI Tonight: Belanjawan 2025: What are the hits and misses
Bait al-Amanah's Benedict Weerasena shares his thoughts on the hits and misses of Budget 2025, which sees an allocation of RM421 bil, a 3.3% increase from the previous year.
AWANI Tonight: Key highlights from Belanjawan 2025
Key highlights from Belanjawan 2025, which includes increased allocations for Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR), tax reliefs for first home buyers, and cash aid for singles, among other reforms.
PDRM pastikan insentif Belanjawan 2025 dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya - KPN
PDRM akan memastikan semua perkara yang diumumkan dalam Belanjawan 2025 untuk pasukan keselamatan itu, akan dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya.
AWANI Tonight 18 Oct 2024
#AWANITonight with @_farhanasheikh
1. Belanjawan 2025: PM unveils record RM421 bil expenditure
#AWANIEnglish #AWANINews
1. Belanjawan 2025: PM unveils record RM421 bil expenditure
#AWANIEnglish #AWANINews
It's About YOUTH: Rethinking the workplace for the younger generation
Celine Ting (@celinetingkl) from OpenAcademy and Anas Hayyan (@anashayyan) from Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) discuss strategies for retaining and developing today's workforce, with a focus on meeting Gen Z's expectations while boosting productivity. #ItsAboutYOUth
345,000 rakyat Palestin di Gaza berdepan krisis kebuluran pada musim sejuk ini - PBB
Terdapat peningkatan ketara daripada 133,000 individu yang kini diklasifikasikan sebagai mengalami "krisis ketidakjaminan makanan."
Dua lelaki ditahan bantu siasatan penyeludupan warga Myanmar
Dua lelaki itu ditahan bagi membantu siasatan mengikut Seksyen 26J Akta Antipemerdagangan Orang dan Antipenyeludupan Migran 2007 (Akta 670).
Belanjawan 2025: Peruntukan RM5.8 bilion langkah penting perkukuh ATM - PAT
Peruntukan sebanyak RM5.8 bilion untuk perolehan aset strategik serta kerja penyelenggaraan dan pembaikan dilihat sebagai langkah penting dalam usaha memperkukuh Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM).
Kes pukul: Dia rakyat beta, beri keadilan sekarang - Tengku Hassanal
Tengku Mahkota Pahang dalam kemas kini di Instagram Story bertitah, keadilan bukan sahaja perlu perlu dilaksanakan, tetapi ia juga mesti dilihat dilaksanakan.