Since January 2020, Chief Public Prosecutor Klaus-Dieter Hartleb (50) has been hunting people who spread hatred and agitation under the protection of the supposed anonymity of the Internet.
Munich - His look is serious.
Chief Public Prosecutor Klaus-Dieter Hartleb (50) stands with three investigators in front of an apartment at the Olympia shopping center.
You ring the bell - then access takes place.
In the hours that followed, the apartment of a man who posted hateful comments on the internet was searched.
Bad agitation against asylum seekers, which does not remain without consequences: The district court sentenced the man in August 2020 to a fine of 1200 euros.
Hatespeech in and around Munich: "The perpetrators often believe that they will not be found"
Hartleb is Bavaria's "Hatespeech" officer, and has been hunting agitators online since January 2020.
"Hatespeech" literally means "hate speech".
Since then, there have been more than 1,000 cases in the district of the Munich Higher Regional Court * alone.
“The perpetrators often believe they will not be found.
When we then ring their doorbell, some of them are very surprised, ”says Hartleb.
Like in July 2020, when searches of 17 suspects across Bavaria took place.
They all commented on the video about asylum seekers on Facebook - hostile and discriminatory.
"Hate and agitation on the Internet have taken on a terrifying extent," says Bavaria's Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich (50, CSU).
“That endangers our democracy.
Words on social networks can turn into real violence.
That is why we are resolutely taking action against it. ”This is reflected in the penalties:“ Even with first-time offenders, sedition can be punished with heavy fines, ”says Eisenreich.
Up to four net salaries - plus entry in the certificate of good conduct.
In the event of repetition, imprisonment threatens.
Eisenreich introduced new structures in Bavaria to combat hatred and agitation.
Since 2020, there have been special departments to combat "hate speech" at all 22 public prosecutor's offices.
Klaus-Dieter Hartleb coordinates the work of the investigators across Bavaria and takes on the largest proceedings, including those against terrorists and extremists.
Munich: Hatespeech cases are complicated in terms of content
Hatespeech cases are complicated in terms of content, explains the chief prosecutor.
“Because you can interpret the statements differently.
What is insult and what is sedition?
For that you need special legal knowledge, which I want to convey to the special departments. ”Often you have to weigh up which statement is still covered by freedom of expression.
“When it comes to investigating perpetrators on the Internet, specialist technical knowledge is required.
Because many do not use their real names or even use disguise technology. ”The perpetrators believe they are safe on the Internet.
But there are now searches every week, sometimes across Bavaria.
Like in November, when 49 apartments were searched at the same time.
Hartleb: "We take storage media, computers and cell phones with us."
Since the refugee crisis in 2015, there has been a massive increase in hate speech on the Internet, he says.
"80 percent are to be assigned to the right-wing extremist spectrum." But the punishments are a deterrent: "Some previously convicted perpetrators have already been sentenced to six months' imprisonment." Because of a single hate comment.
- Andreas Thieme - * tz.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.