Berlin police announced Friday, August 19 the opening of an investigation for suspicion
of "incitement to hatred
" against the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas after his controversial remarks on the Holocaust made in Berlin.
The police received a complaint against Mahmoud Abbas for "
relating the Holocaust
" after his statements during a joint press conference on Tuesday with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
A wave of indignation
The specialized police station of the Land judicial police immediately began an investigation, of which it plans to inform the public prosecutor's office "
soon
", which will decide whether or not to follow up, a police spokeswoman told AFP. , confirming media information.
Asked about the attack fifty years ago during the 1972 Munich Olympics, fatal to 11 Israelis and perpetrated by a Palestinian commando, Mahmoud Abbas compared the situation in the Palestinian Territories occupied by Israel to the Holocaust.
"
From 1947 to today, Israel has committed 50 massacres in 50 Palestinian cities (...), 50 massacres, 50 holocausts and even today there are deaths caused by the Israeli army every day
", had-- he declared, triggering a wave of indignation mainly in Israel and Germany.
However, the investigation could be cut short if Mahmoud Abbas is protected by diplomatic immunity.
The German Foreign Ministry believes this is likely since he was in Germany on an official visit, but criminal law specialist Michael Kubiciel, quoted in the daily Bild, is more doubtful.
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Mahmoud Abbas can only enjoy immunity as a '
representative of another state
', so whether or not Palestine can be considered a state is of '
very great importance
', says expert .
More than 130 countries recognize Palestine as a state, but not Germany, like most Western countries.
Berlin has, however, established diplomatic relations with the occupied territories.
