A 64-year-old German retiree who mocked Economy Minister Robert Habeck online is now facing serious criminal charges—for sharing memes.
Stefan Niehoff was charged by the Bamberg public prosecutor with “incitement to hatred” and the “use of unconstitutional symbols” after sharing a meme on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in which he referred to German Economy Minister Robert Habeck as a “professional idiot.” Niehoff was initially under investigation for insulting a public official, but the prosecutor later dropped the charge.
According to Apollo News, the new indictment no longer focuses directly on Niehoff’s criticism of Habeck but on other posts in which he shared historical images associated with the Nazi regime.
In one post, he criticised a call for a boycott against companies affiliated with the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD). The image was a historical sign reading “Deutsche kauft nicht bei Juden” (“Germans, do not buy from Jews”), accompanied by the caption: “Wahre Demokraten! Hatten wir alles schon mal!” (“True democrats! We’ve seen this before!”). His intent was to draw a provocative comparison between past and present boycott movements. However, the prosecutor’s office did not mention this context in the indictment.
The Bamberg prosecutor accuses Niehoff of “disseminating symbols of former National Socialist organizations on five occasions by retweeting or forwarding to other users” and of publicly trivializing an act committed under the Nazi regime in a manner that could disturb public peace (Welt). If found guilty, he could face a fine equal to 90 days’ worth of his income.
The case has sparked additional controversy due to the involvement of Ursula Redler, the current director of the Haßfurt district court, who approved the indictment against Niehoff. Redler previously served as chief prosecutor in Bamberg, overseeing the initial investigation into the retiree. Shortly after the prosecutor filed the charges, Redler assumed her position in Haßfurt. This prompted her to declare a “possible conflict of interest,” though she initially did not make this situation public.
Niehoff’s defense lawyer, Marcus Pretzell, announced they would contest the charges in court. A formal trial will be held if Niehoff refuses to pay the proposed fine.
