Far-right German politician appeals verdict over banned Nazi slogan
The defence of leading far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician Björn Höcke has lodged an appeal against a verdict that has found him guilty of using a banned Nazi slogan, a court spokeswoman confirmed on Thursday.
A regional court in the eastern German city of Halle sentenced Höcke to a fine of €13,000 ($14,000) on Tuesday for using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.
The appeal had been received by the court on Wednesday after it was lodged by Höcke's lawyer Philip Müller, the spokeswoman said. Müller did not wish to comment on this when asked by dpa.
The case will now go to the Federal Court of Justice. The court will only examine the judgement for violations of the law - in other words, no further evidence will be taken.
The verdict will not become legally binding for the time being.
The public prosecutor's office had accused the leader of the AfD in the German state of Thuringia of having knowingly used a banned slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA), or Storm Troopers, a Nazi paramilitary group commonly referred to as the "brownshirts."
The case was sparked by a speech delivered by Höcke in Merseburg in May 2021, during which he used the phrase "Everything for Germany!" (Alles für Deutschland!) which is banned in Germany.
A former history teacher, Höcke denied that he had knowingly used the slogan. The defence had called for Höcke to be acquitted of the charge on the grounds that he did not know it was forbidden.
