The Constitutional Court (BVerfG) has annulled a judgment stating that a man had been sentenced for denigrating memory of deceased according to clause 189. In year 2013 plaintiff had designated German resistance fighter Johann Burianek on internet as “bandits” and “leader of a terrorist group”. He was sentenced by Berlin District Court to a fine of 1,200 euros. The sentenced constitutional complaint was brought against this judgement.
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The BVerfG accepted complaint and decided that it was justified. “The decisions taken are infringing complainant in his fundamental right to freedom of expression under article 5 of Basic Law”, judgment states. Freedom of expression applies regardless of wher statements prove to be true or untrue, wher y are justified or unreasonable, emotional or rational. In judgment, BVerfG was based on earlier judgments.
According to BVerfG, freedom of expression also has limits. In this case, however, all objections would not have been sufficient to meet constitutional requirements. Among or things, author had not Burianek personally attacked, but criticized political dealings with Burianek. “This statement does not, in its main focus, or at any rate not only aim to make deceased as a person contemptuous, but also to take a view of appellant’s political bias ambiguous dealing with The GDR past and resistance against m, ” judges wrote in ir statement of reasons.
Such an expression was covered by Basic Law. Wher this view is “factually justifiable in any way or unjustified from outset” plays no role in protection of freedom of expression. This does not change fact that verdict was grossly illegal and unreasonably harsh.
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Because BVerfG principle is judged in constitutional matters and no individual decisions are taken, case is now returned to District Court of Berlin for a new decision.
Johann Burianek was sentenced to death by GDR judiciary in a show trial and was executed in August 1952. He was accused of espionage, a fire attack and planning of an explosive attack. In year 2005, District Court of Berlin declared death sentence unlawful for rule of law and raised it. This rehabilitation Burianeks had criticized now successful plaintiff. On his website he accused Federal Republic of downplaying former terror and violence against GDR.
