Raids against hate online: the police are also searching the homes of suspects in Hesse
Created: 03/22/2022, 17:08
Fighting hate online: police searched the homes of suspects in nationwide investigations.
© Lukas Schulze/dpa
Politicians are targets for online hate.
Police launched nationwide investigations and searches into suspects on Tuesday.
Stuttgart – In the fight against online hate against politicians, investigators across the country have questioned suspects and searched the homes of suspects.
The action on Tuesday (March 22nd, 2022) was directed against nine suspects, according to the State Criminal Police Office (LKA).
The searches were part of a nationwide investigation into more than 100 people in 13 federal states.
The background are posts in social media in connection with the federal elections last autumn.
Around a dozen police officers were on duty in the southwest and searched the apartments of two men in Karlsruhe and in the Esslingen district.
The suspect in Karlsruhe is accused of defamation, the suspect from the greater Esslingen area is said to have used signs of unconstitutional organizations.
Nationwide investigations: Police are also taking action against online hate in Hesse
Among other things, the officers secured telephones, computers and storage media.
Detention tests are not planned in either case, according to the LKA.
In addition, police officers heard seven other suspects for defamation and insult.
"We will continue to take action against these largely tasteless, often disgusting acts," said Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) on Tuesday.
Hate crime saw an increase from 746 to 883 cases in 2021, according to the Home Office.
About half of the offenses were committed online.
In 2020, 390 politically motivated acts against public officials were registered, in 2021 there were around 500.
Hate on the net: the police searched the apartments of suspects in Hesse
According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), there were searches in all federal states except in Hamburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein.
The police checked more than 600 statements for criminal content.
“Freedom of expression reaches its limits when it comes to defamation, insults and threats.
With the day of action, we are making it clear: Anyone who posts hate messages must expect the police to be at the door afterwards," said BKA President Holger Münch.
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The crimes are, on the one hand, insults against nationally known politicians.
Two-thirds of those affected are women.
On the other hand, the posts would contain false reports and quotations that, according to the BKA, “appear to be suitable for defaming and discrediting those affected”.
(dpa)
At the end of last year, the LKA searched the apartments of ten suspects in Hesse.