Germany's Merkel criticized for allowing prosecution of comedian who mocked Erdogan

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Yahoo News:

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Angela Merkel agreed on Friday to allow prosecutors to pursue a case against a German comedian who mocked Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, prompting accusations that she had failed to protect free speech and dividing her ruling coalition.

 

Erdogan had demanded that Germany press charges against Jan Boehmermann after he recited a poem about the Turkish leader in a show on German public broadcaster ZDF on March 31, suggesting he hits girls, watches child pornography and engages in bestiality.

 

A section of the German criminal code prohibits insults against foreign leaders but leaves it to the government to decide whether to authorize prosecutors to pursue such cases.

 

This put Merkel in an awkward position. She has been the driving force behind a controversial European Union deal with Turkey to stem the flow of refugees into Europe and critics have already accused her of ignoring violations of human rights and press freedoms in Turkey to secure its cooperation.

 

The chancellor made clear in a statement that the decision to allow prosecutors to investigate was not a verdict on the merits of the case itself.

________

 

Do not make fun of the foreign autocrat.

[kevindavis]

There are comedians from Germany??

[Geee]

There are comedians from Germany??

 

You have never heard of Merkel??

[SrWoodchuck]

Merkel in a Burkha...

 

What happened to her? She used to be so conservative. Power? Money? Fear of Allah?

[kevindavis]

 

There are comedians from Germany??

 

You have never heard of Merkel??