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Pastor Latzel with lawyers in the Bremen district court
Photo: Hauke Christian Dittrich / dpa
The Bremen district court has acquitted the evangelical pastor Olaf Latzel of the accusation of incitement to hatred.
Judge Hendrik Göhner overturned a judgment of the Bremen district court in the appeal proceedings.
This had sentenced the clergyman to a fine totaling 8,100 euros for incitement to hatred.
With its verdict, the court followed the demand of the defense, which saw the pastor's positions as covered by the principle of freedom of religion and freedom of expression.
The district court saw it differently in its judgment in November 2020.
Judge Ellen Best found at the time that the theologian had incited hatred of homosexuals and intersex people in a so-called marriage seminar.
The statements could be understood as propaganda and a license to act against these people.
Specifically, in the seminar “Biblical Driving School for Marriage” the pastor spoke to about 30 married couples about “criminals” from Christopher Street Day with reference to homosexuals.
According to the indictment, he also described homosexuality as a “degenerative form of society”.
The statements were also published on a YouTube channel by Latzel's St. Martini Church.
The district court finally ordered the fine for incitement to hatred.
Latzel had appealed against this.
Before the district court, he had said that his statements were based on the Bible, which classified homosexuality as a sin.
"For me, the Bible is the infallible word of God," said Latzel, referring to the conservative orientation of his congregation.
He later apologized for his statements, saying he didn't want to appear inflammatory.
According to the ARD regional magazine "Buten un Binnen", the district court now interpreted Latzel's statements as criticism of social concepts, but not as an attack on specific people.
The pastor did not incite hatred.
The annulment of the judgment is not yet final.
File number: 51 Ns 225 Js 26577/20
fek/dpa