Luisa Neubauer scores success against right-wing author Akif Pirinçci after hate speech

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Luisa Neubauer at the UN climate conference in Glasgow in November 2021: "Certainly not on my bucket list to take legal action against something like this"

Photo: Christoph Soeder / dpa

The Frankfurt am Main regional court has sentenced right-wing populist author Akif Pirinçci to pay compensation of 6,000 euros. The money goes to climate activist Luisa Neubauer, who was attacked by Pirinçci in January 2020 with a sexist, humiliating Facebook comment. The court assessed the contribution as defamatory criticism and prohibited Pirinçci from repeating the statement. A court spokeswoman confirmed the incident to SPIEGEL. Pirinçci has to pay court and legal fees in addition to compensation.

"This case shows that it is quite possible to defend yourself against sexism, misogyny and other forms of agitation on the Internet," says Luisa Neubauer about the verdict. "It is definitely not on my bucket list to take legal action against something like that," the activist told SPIEGEL. "But when it comes to defending women's rights, sometimes we can't choose which fight to fight and which not."

You and other activists from Fridays for Future are still exposed to massive online hate speech despite the new law against hate crime and despite intensified investigations.

“Sometimes the hatred is so intense that it leaves you speechless.

But I will definitely not fall silent just because there are hate campaigns and agitation on the Internet, ”says Neubauer.

She will pass the compensation on to the organization Hate Aid, which campaigns for those affected by digital violence and also supported Neubauer in the process.

Just a few weeks ago, Pirinçci was sentenced to four months probation in another trial for the same Facebook post, T-Online reported.

According to the report, Pirinçci appealed in the criminal proceedings before the Bonn Regional Court.

Hate speech against science

Josephine Ballon from the organization Hate Aid points out that digital violence has increasingly become a problem for researchers in recent months.

"Because of the violence that affects them in the pandemic, they are sometimes reluctant to appear online or in analogue," said Ballon.

Luisa Neubauer has so far been supported by Hate Aid in a total of more than 50 criminal charges and eleven times in civil law proceedings involving criminal agitation on the Internet.

In order to protect those affected, Josephine Ballon demands that insults on the Internet become a

offense

.

Then prosecutors could at least start their own investigations if there is a great public interest - for example because the insults have spread widely online and were widely discussed.

As a simple

offense, insults are only prosecuted if the offended person sues.