Judge Files Complaint against Merkel over Bin Laden Comments

[reorg]

A Hamburg judge has filed a criminal complaint against Chancellor Angela Merkel for "endorsing a crime" after she stated she was "glad" that Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces. Meanwhile a new poll reveals that a majority of Germans do not see the terrorist's death as a reason to celebrate.

Schadenfreude, the enjoyment of others' suffering, may be a famously German concept, but it is apparently not a feeling that many Germans aspire to. The political and public fallout following Chancellor Angela Merkel's statement on Monday that she was "glad" Osama bin Laden had been killed was among the most hotly debated topics in the German media this week.

Politicians, including those within her own center-right coalition, said that no death was cause for celebration, and reproved the remark as un-Christian and vengeful.

But Hamburg judge Heinz Uthmann went even further. He alleges that the chancellor's statement was nothing short of illegal, and filed a criminal complaint against Merkel midweek, the daily Hamburger Morgenpost reported Friday.

"I am a law-abiding citizen and as a judge, sworn to justice and law," the 54-year-old told the paper, adding that Merkel's words were "tacky and undignified."

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,761077,00.html

[otohara]

1. Vengeful is Flying Planes Into Buildings

Day 6 - I'm still glad he's dead.

[reorg]

2. tacky, undignified, and illegal - says the judge from Hamburg, Germany

This is one of the rare cases where I'm in complete agreement with a large majority of the Germans. Merkel's spokesperson already back-paddled a little, "the outcry prompted government press spokesman Steffen Seibert to defend her on Thursday. 'The reason for her happiness was the thought that this man would no longer pose any danger,' he said, adding that her statement had been reported out of context."

[The Magistrate]

9. We Had a Judge Over Here, Sir, Sued A Corner Dry-Cleaners For Forty Million Dollars

Over a pair of pants.

Just because someone is a judge does not mean he is not an insufferable crank.

[Taitertots]

4. Why don't you go after the people who actually flew the planes?

They all died almost 10 years ago.

[otohara]

6. Their Leader Was Too

chicken shit to get on the plane with them.

He was too busy living a decent life in a lovely military suburb in Pakistan.

Are you going to miss his propaganda spewing tapes he used to release every once in a while?

[phleshdef]

3. Talk about reverse fascism.

Freedom of speech, doesn't Germany have this?

[reorg]

5. freedom of speech has certain limits

possibly more so in Germany than in the US. One of those limits is the ban on unconstitutional parties and the use of their symbols such as the swastika, another limit is the law referred to in this case:

§ 140 StGB

Belohnung und Billigung von Straftaten
Wer eine der in § 138 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 bis 5 und in § 126 Abs. 1 genannten rechtswidrigen Taten oder eine rechtswidrige Tat nach § 176 Abs. 3, nach den §§ 176a und 176b, nach den §§ 177 und 178 oder nach § 179 Abs. 3, 5 und 6, nachdem sie begangen oder in strafbarer Weise versucht worden ist,

1. belohnt oder
2. in einer Weise, die geeignet ist, den öffentlichen Frieden zu stören, öffentlich, in einer Versammlung oder durch Verbreiten von Schriften (§ 11 Abs. 3) billigt,

wird mit Freiheitsstrafe bis zu drei Jahren oder mit Geldstrafe bestraft.


Rewarding and approving of criminal offenses

Whoever

1. rewards or
2. approves, in a manner which is likely to disturb the public peace, publicly, in a gathering or through dissemination of writings,

of illegal acts referred to in
§ 138 Abs. 1 Nr. 1-4 (not informing the authorities of preparations for a war of aggression, high treason etc)
and in § 126 Abs. 1 (threat of violent riot)
and in 176 Abs. 3, §§ 176a and 176b, §§ 177 and 178, or § 179 Abs. 3, 5 and 6 (sex crimes)

shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine.

[NYC Liberal]

7. I'll say it for her: I'm glad he's dead. Good riddance!

[reorg]

8. well, try as you might

you won't become Chancellor here.