_Lèse-majesté_ has become a European thing again.
Germany has been using such a law _a lot,_ per Brave AI "This special provision, in force since 1951 and strengthened in 2021, allows prosecutors to initiate cases independently without the politician filing a complaint, distinguishing it from general insult laws."
"The law has faced intense criticism and reform debate following high-profile cases in 2024–2025 where citizens were investigated for calling Chancellor Friedrich Merz 'Pinocchio' or 'Lügenfritz' (Lying Fritz). In 2025, German police registered a record 4,792 investigations under this statute."
Even Bill Clinton didn't go this far, only having people who insulted him to his face arrested and persecuted. Then again, we do have that pesky First Amendment that's not completely dead.
https://search.brave.com/search?q=german+insult+political+law
Sinistra delenda est.
npub13r…m3jlt
2026-10-25 21:17:00 UTC
in reply to nevent1q…cph7
Author Public Key
npub13rp7r4aglr7nlktkj0k4y3m2trxv0ulphu4pm7qv3w0vwnvzntjsvm3jltSeen on
wss://relay.momostr.pinkPublished at
2026-10-25 21:17:00 UTCEvent JSON
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