Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie - 30.12.2025
- Case number
- I C 2400/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a defamation dispute arising from a mutual conflict, where both parties used offensive language, including the claimant referring to the defendant as an “antisemite”; the court treated this as part of reciprocal hostility rather than a substantiated claim, highlighting that accusations of antisemitism carry serious weight and, when used without factual basis, can themselves infringe personal rights, while ultimately finding a violation but limiting the remedy due to the mutual nature of the conflict.
Art. 23, Art. 24 §1, Art. 448 Civil Code
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie I Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Dec 30, 2025
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Discrimination
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Trybunał Konstytucyjny - 3.12.2025
- Case number
- Pp 1/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Constitutional review of a political party’s aims and activities involving tolerance of antisemitic and racist content. The Constitutional Tribunal examined whether the program and activities of the Communist Party of Poland complied with constitutional standards prohibiting parties that promote racial or national hatred. The Tribunal found that the party’s publications and public activity tolerated and disseminated antisemitic and racist ideas alongside totalitarian ideology, and held that such conduct is incompatible with the Constitution. The judgment reaffirmed that political pluralism does not protect organisations whose aims or activities legitimise antisemitism or other forms of hatred against ethnic or religious groups.
Art. 13, Art. 11(1), Art. 188(4) Constitution of the Republic of Poland
Art. 49, Art. 81 of the Act on the Organisation and Proceedings before the Constitutional Tribunal
- Name of Court
- Trybunał Konstytucyjny
- Date of decision
- Dec 3, 2025
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Constitutional Court
- Area of Law
- Constitutional Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Bremen - 15.11.2022
- Case number
- 1 D 87/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Ban on associations (Vereinsverbot) - Association banned for supporting another association directed against the idea of international understanding. Plaintiff incites hatred against members of other religions and combats the international legal order, partly through social networks.
Art. 9 Abs. 2 GG; § 3 Abs 1 VereinsG
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Bremen
- Date of decision
- Nov 15, 2025
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Freedom of Assembly
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Conseil d’État (5ème et 6ème chambres) - 06.11.2025
- Case number
- n° 495634
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The applicant, SESI (the operator of the channel CNEWS), sought the annulment of a decision by Arcom dated May 2, 2024. Arcom had imposed a financial penalty of €50,000 following the broadcast of the program "L’Heure des Pros 2" on September 28, 2023. During this broadcast, a recurring guest attributed antisemitism, drug trafficking, and prison overcrowding to "Arab-Muslim immigration". The host of the program did not intervene to provide context or contradiction, merely ending the segment by stating, "That is what could be said on the subject". The guest's remarks imputed criminal actions to an entire population group based on origin and religion to support a political demand (changing immigration policy). This violates Article 2-3-2 of the convention, which prohibits encouraging discriminatory behavior. Because the remarks were broadcast without any "perspective or contradiction," the broadcaster failed its responsibility for the content and its duty to maintain control over the program under all circumstances, as required by Article 2-2-1 of the convention.
Articles 42, 42-1, and 42-2 of Law No. 86-1067 of September 30, 1986; Article 10 of the ECHR; Articles 2-3-2 and 2-2-1 of the broadcaster's convention
- Name of Court
- Conseil d’État (5ème et 6ème chambres)
- Date of decision
- Nov 6, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
Cour de cassation, Chambre criminelle - 04.11.2025
- Case number
- n° 24-82.396
- Country
- France
- Case Description
On September 26, 2009, the defendants participated in an action at a supermarket where they wore clothing with the inscription ""Palestine vivra, boycott Israël"" (Palestine shall live, boycott Israel). They distributed leaflets stating that buying Israeli products legitimizes ""crimes in Gaza"" and approves the policies of the Israeli government. After a complex legal history—including an initial acquittal in 2011, a subsequent conviction in 2013, and a 2015 rejection by the Court of Cassation—the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in 2020 (Baldassi and others v. France) that the conviction violated Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Following this, the French Court of Revision annulled the previous conviction and remanded the case to the Paris Court of Appeal, which acquitted the defendants in 2024. The civil parties appealed this acquittal to the Court of Cassation. The Court of Cassation reaffirmed that a boycott is a modality of expressing protest opinions associated with specific actions. Under Article 10 of the Convention, such expressions are protected unless they cross the line into incitement to intolerance, hate, or violence. No anti-Semitic or racist remarks were recorded, and there were no insults or violence against employees or customers. So, the Court of Cassation approbed the acquittal.
l'article 10 de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme; article 24 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881
- Name of Court
- Cour de cassation, Chambre criminelle
- Date of decision
- Nov 4, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Tribunal judiciaire de Paris - 18.09.2025
- Case number
- n° RG 25/56086
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The political association La France Insoumise (LFI) filed an emergency summons against a publishing company to obtain an advance copy of the book Les complices du mal, written by Omar Youssef Souleimane, prior to its scheduled release on October 2, 2025. LFI argued that the book's presentation suggested it contained defamatory statements and "fake news" regarding alleged links between the party and Islamist movements. The plaintiff sought this measure under Article 145 of the Code of Civil Procedure to prepare potential legal actions (such as defamation suits or an injunction to suppress passages) before the book could cause "irreversible damage" to the democratic process. The author intervened to oppose the communication of his work, citing his right of disclosure (droit de divulgation) under Article L.121-2 of the Intellectual Property Code. The court declared his intervention admissible, as he demonstrated a direct interest in the timing and conditions under which his work is made public. The court held that such a measure constitutes a significant interference with the freedom of expression and the freedom to communicate information, guaranteed by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It ruled that forcing an author to submit their work to the judgment of a third party before publication imposes a constraint on the creative process and the message's form.
article 29 alinéa 1 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881; article 27, 24 alinéa 1 de la même loi; l’article L.121-2 du code de la propriété intellectuelle et de l’article 10 de la Convention européenne des droits de l’Homme
- Name of Court
- Tribunal judiciaire de Paris
- Date of decision
- Sep 18, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
University of Cambridge v Persons Unknown - 12.09.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 2330 (KB
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerns an application by the University of Cambridge for a final injunction restraining unauthorised protest activities on university property connected with Gaza-related protests. The High Court granted injunctive relief in respect of specified sites, holding that the measures were proportionate to prevent trespass and nuisance and that rights to freedom of expression and assembly do not confer a general entitlement to occupy private land.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Sep 12, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Teledyne UK Ltd v Gao & Ors - 01.08.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 2013 (Admin)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerns a final injunction granted to Teledyne UK Ltd to restrain unauthorised protest activity at a number of its industrial sites. The High Court found evidence of repeated unlawful trespass, obstruction and property damage linked to protest actions associated with Palestine Action, and held that injunctive relief against named defendants and persons unknown was necessary and proportionate to protect the claimant’s operations, while recognising that protest rights do not extend to unlawful interference with private property.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Aug 1, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Conseil constitutionnel - 29.07.2025
- Case number
- n° 2025-890 DC
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The Constitutional Council was petitioned by several members of the National Assembly to review the constitutionality of Article 3 of the Law on the fight against antisemitism in higher education. The applicants challenged: First, the delegation of legislative power to the executive regarding the composition and operation of new regional disciplinary sections (Article L. 811-5-1 of the Education Code). Second, the alleged lack of precision in defining new disciplinary offenses (e.g., antisemitism, incitement to hatred) and the fact that these could apply to conduct outside the university, which they argued violated the principles of legality, proportionality of penalties, and the separation of powers. Legislative Competence (Art. L. 811-5-1): The Council found that the Constitution does not place the specific details of the composition or functioning of these disciplinary sections within the domain of the law. Consequently, the legislator did not fail to exercise its full competence by referring these application modalities to a decree of the Conseil d’État. Concerning the clarity of the used terms (e.g. antisemitism), the Council ruled that these terms are sufficiently precise to prevent arbitrary enforcement and they are declared constitutional.
article L. 811-5 du code de l’éducation; article L. 811-6 du code de l’éducation; art. 34 constitution
- Name of Court
- Conseil constitutionnel
- Date of decision
- Jul 29, 2025
- Subjects
- Academic Freedom
- Other
- Type of Court
- Constitutional Court
- Area of Law
- Constitutional Law
Bar Cohen v Local Court at Bamberg, Germany - 25.07.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 1851 (Admin)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The proceedings concerned an appeal against an extradition order to Germany based on allegations of large-scale cyber trading fraud. The central issue was whether extradition would be barred under section 25 of the Extradition Act 2003 due to serious physical and mental health conditions, in particular the risk of suicide, or whether it would constitute a disproportionate interference with Article 8 ECHR. It was also argued that prison conditions in Germany posed a particular risk, referring to an alleged increase in antisemitic incidents in German detention facilities. The Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the extradition order, finding that neither an intolerable risk to health nor a disproportionate interference with private and family life had been established, and that the German authorities had provided sufficient assurances regarding protection and medical care. Extradition Act 2003, ss. 21A, 25, 27; European Convention on Human Rights, Art. 8.
- Name of Court
- The High Court of Justice King's Bench Divison, Administrative Court
- Date of decision
- Jul 25, 2025
- Subjects
- Asylum and other issues of residence
- Freedom of Religion
- International Crimes
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Cour administrative d’appel de Lyon - 10.07.2025
- Case number
- n° 24LY03516
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The association LICRA (Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Section) challenged the implicit refusal of the Mayor of Tassin-la-Demi-Lune to reinstate substitution menus (pork-free or meat-free options) in school canteens. These menus had been provided between 2012 and 2016 but were suppressed in subsequent public service contracts starting in September 2016. Following a lower court judgment in October 2024 that annulled the refusal and ordered the reinstatement of the menus, the municipality appealed to the Cour administrative d’appel de Lyon. The municipality argued that LICRA lacked the standing to challenge the canteen policy. The court rejected this, ruling that LICRA’s statutory mission—to combat racism, anti-Semitism, and discrimination—gives it a valid interest in defending individual liberties and fighting discrimination in public services. The Cour administrative d’appel dismissed the municipality's appeal. The court found that Tassin-la-Demi-Lune had suppressed the menus based on an abstract application of secularism without demonstrating any actual operational, financial, or human resource obstacles It upheld the lower court’s order for the town to reintroduce substitution menus within six months.
l'article L. 243-2 du code des relations entre le public et l'administration; l'article 10 de la déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen; l'article 1er de la Constitution; principes de laïcité et de neutralité
- Name of Court
- Cour administrative d’appel de Lyon
- Date of decision
- Jul 10, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Religion
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Trinity College, Cambridge and St John’s College, Cambridge v Persons Unknown - 23.06.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 1577 (Ch)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
This case concerned protest encampments established by “Cambridge for Palestine” on land belonging to Trinity College, Cambridge and St John’s College, Cambridge. The High Court granted summary possession orders and final injunctions, holding that the encampments constituted trespass and caused serious disruption, including interference with examinations and the creation of an intimidating environment. While recognising the protesters’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly, the court found the measures proportionate, emphasising that those rights could be exercised through lawful means not involving occupation of private land.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Jun 23, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Najwyższy - 29.05.2025
- Case number
- IV KK 537/24
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Criminal liability involving organised crime and violence linked to neo-Nazi and antisemitic ideology. The defendant challenged his conviction by disputing the courts’ findings that he acted within an extremist, antisemitic, and neo-Nazi environment. The Supreme Court dismissed the cassation, holding that the ideological findings were factually supported and legally relevant to assessing criminal responsibility and motivation, and reaffirmed that antisemitism and neo-Nazi ideology are not protected and may be taken into account in criminal proceedings.
Art. 4, Art. 258 § 1, Art. 158 § 1, Art. 256 § 1, Art. 256 § 2, Art. 65 § 1, Art. 57a § 1–2 Criminal Code
Art. 439 § 1 pkt 2 and 11, Art. 433 § 2, Art. 457 § 3, Art. 535 § 3 Code of Criminal Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Najwyższy - Izba Karna
- Date of decision
- May 29, 2025
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Pogroms and Violent Attacks on Persons
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny - 21.05.2025
- Case number
- II OSK 3843/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Judicial review of state protection of a former Jewish cemetery destroyed during the Holocaust. The case concerned the inclusion of privately owned land within the protected boundaries of a historic Jewish cemetery to safeguard a site of antisemitic persecution and religious sanctity. While acknowledging the enduring protection owed to Jewish cemeteries even when physically destroyed, the Supreme Administrative Court annulled the measure on procedural grounds, holding that heritage protection must respect constitutional guarantees of property rights and provide owners with effective procedural safeguards.
Art. 22 ust. 2, Art. 6 ust. 1 pkt 1 lit. f, Art. 3 pkt 1 Act on the Protection and Care of Monuments
Art. 64 ust. 1 and 2, Art. 31 ust. 3 Constitution of the Republic of Poland
Art. 1 Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights
Art. 146 § 1, Art. 188, Art. 207 § 2 Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
- Name of Court
- Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny - Izba Ogólnoadministracyjna
- Date of decision
- May 21, 2025
- Subjects
- Attack on Jewish Places of Worship
- Cemetery Desecration
- Freedom of Religion
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
The High Court of Justice King's Bench Divison, Administrative Court - 14.05.2025
- Case number
- AC-2024-LON-001310
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
This case concerns a civil libel claim arising from an online article alleging that the claimant had engaged in, supported, and encouraged a campaign of online abuse and harassment against a minor. The statements complained of were made in the context of public discussions concerning antisemitism within British political life, including debate about antisemitism in the Labour Party, on which the claimant had publicly expressed views. The High Court held that the defendant’s pleaded defences of truth, honest opinion, and publication on a matter of public interest had no realistic prospect of success, as the pleaded facts were incapable of establishing the factual allegations found to be defamatory. Defamation Act 2013, sections 1–4
- Name of Court
- The High Court of Justice King's Bench Divison, Administrative Court
- Date of decision
- May 14, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Husain v Solicitors Regulation Authority - 14.05.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 1170 (Admin)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal disbarred solicitor Farrukh Husain after he repeatedly published antisemitic and offensive statements. His appeal to the High Court was unsuccessful, as the court did not consider the statements to be covered by freedom of expression. The judges upheld the decision because the behaviour was deliberate and damaged confidence in the legal profession.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- May 14, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Other
- Workplace and labour issues
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Farrukh Najeeb Husain v Solicitors Regulation Authority - 14.05.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 1170
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The High Court ruled on an appeal against a decision of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal by which a practising solicitor had been struck off the roll for numerous social-media posts found to be antisemitic, offensive and inappropriate, as well as for offensive correspondence with the regulator. The Court examined whether the Tribunal had committed errors of law in establishing the breaches, in its treatment of medical evidence, in its assessment of freedom of expression, and in the sanction imposed. The appeal was dismissed; the Court upheld the Tribunal’s conclusion that the statements exceeded the bounds of permissible political speech and that striking off was a proportionate sanction. Solicitors Act 1974, in particular section 49; Solicitors Regulation Authority Principles 2019 (Principles 2, 5 and 6); Solicitors (Disciplinary Proceedings) Rules 2019; Equality Act 2010; European Convention on Human Rights, in particular Articles 6, 8 and 10.
- Name of Court
- High Court of Justice King's Bench Division, Administrativ Court
- Date of decision
- May 14, 2025
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt am Main - 24.04.2023
- Case number
- 7 L 1055/23.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for a temporary injunction (Antrag auf einstweilige Anordnung) - the applicant is denied access to the "Festhalle" in Frankfurt am Main due to accusations of antiemitism. GG Art. 3, 5 I 1, III 1; HessGO § 20 I
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt am Main
- Date of decision
- Apr 24, 2025
- Subjects
- Antijudaist Iconography
- Artistic Freedom
- Freedom of Speech
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Israel-related incident
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Amtsgericht Tiergarten - 17.04.2025
- Case number
- 264 Ls 1024/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dangerous bodily harm motivated by antisemitism - 24-year-old defendant physically attacked a Jewish fellow student known from the university environment. The victim suffered severe injuries including a complex midface fracture and a brain hemorrhage. The court regarded the antisemitic intent as the decisive aggravating factor in sentencing, citing further evidence such as the defendant’s statements, social media material, and display of materials denying Israel’s right to exist.
§ 224 StGB
- Name of Court
- Amtsgericht Tiergarten
- Date of decision
- Apr 17, 2025
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Pogroms and Violent Attacks on Persons
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Andrew Bridgen v Matt Hancock - 14.04.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 926 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The 2025 case concerns a claim arising from a public statement in which remarks made by a Member of Parliament about vaccinations were described as dangerous, anti-scientific, conspiratorial, and antisemitic. At an earlier stage of the proceedings ([2024] EWHC 1603 (KB)), the court had already determined that the statement was to be understood predominantly as an expression of opinion about the character of the remarks made, rather than as an assertion that the individual concerned was himself an antisemite. Building on that determination, the court then examined whether the claim could be disposed of without a full trial, in particular on the basis that no serious reputational harm had been caused or that the statement was protected by the defence of honest opinion. The court rejected that approach, holding that both the existence of serious harm and the actual impact of the statement on public perception could only be resolved through an examination of the evidence. The proceedings were therefore allowed to continue to a full substantive hearing. Defamation Act 2013, section 1; Defamation Act 2013, section 3; Civil Procedure Rules, rule 24.3; Civil Procedure Rules, rule 3.4 .
- Name of Court
- High Court Of Justice King's Bench Divison Media And Communications List
- Date of decision
- Apr 14, 2025
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Paul Currie v Soho Theatre Company Limited - 03.04.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 1645 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The proceedings concerned a libel claim against a theatre company arising from a press statement in which the claimant was accused of verbally abusing Jewish audience members after a performance and aggressively demanding that they leave the theatre. The antisemitism-related core issue was whether the statement should be understood as alleging, as a matter of fact, antisemitic conduct, or as expressing a value judgment about the claimant’s behaviour. The Court determined, as preliminary issues, that the description of the incident constituted an allegation of fact (Chase Level 1), whereas the characterisation of the conduct as intimidating, antisemitic, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the theatre’s values amounted to an expression of opinion; furthermore, the reference to police involvement implied that there were grounds for a criminal investigation. Defamation Act 2013, ss. 1, 3
- Name of Court
- High Court Of Justice King's Bench Divison Media And Communications List
- Date of decision
- Apr 3, 2025
- Subjects
- Artistic Freedom
- Defamation
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Krakowie - 28.03.2025
- Case number
- I ACa 1588/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Property dispute arising from post-war restitution proceedings in which allegations of antisemitism were raised during civil litigation. The State Treasury sought to invalidate a settlement transferring property to a Jewish religious municipality. Arguments invoking antisemitism and the Holocaust were expressly rejected by the appellate court as legally irrelevant and abusive. The court held that historical suffering cannot replace statutory requirements and dismissed the State’s claim solely on property-law grounds, namely the municipality’s acquisition of ownership by prescription.
Art. 10 Act on Land and Mortgage Registers and Mortgage
Art. 172, Art. 5, Art. 58, Art. 316 § 1, Art. 123 Civil Code
Act of 20 February 1997 on the relationship between the State and Jewish religious communities in Poland
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Krakowie I Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Mar 28, 2025
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Other
- Restitution
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Dale Vince v Andrew Staines & Julia Tice - 26.02.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 412 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Defamation - The High Court dealt with defamation claims brought by Labour donor Dale Vince against Paul Staines and Richard Tice over their reporting on his alleged comments about Hamas.Staines claimed in an article that Vince had described Hamas as ‘freedom fighters’.Tice also published a tweet in which he portrayed Vince as a supporter of Hamas.The court ruled that these publications were defamatory because they attributed positions to Vince that, in the court's opinion, he had not held.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Feb 26, 2025
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Vince v Staines & Tice - 26.02.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 412 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerns a defamation claim brought by Dale Vince OBE against media commentators in relation to publications and online statements. The Court examined the pleaded meanings of the statements, which the claimant alleged portrayed him as supporting Hamas and endorsing antisemitic violence, and considered whether those meanings were capable of being defamatory in law.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Feb 26, 2025
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
John Ware v Roger Waters & - 25.02.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 389 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Defamation - The libel suit brought by John Ware against Roger Waters centred on the distinction between what constitutes opinion and what counts as a statement of fact in legal terms.The court viewed the description of Ware as a ‘Zionist mouthpiece’ as an exaggerated but permissible expression of opinion in the context of his critical reporting.However, it ruled that the statement that Ware supported ‘genocide’ was an unsubstantiated factual claim.The ruling clearly defines the line between sharp political criticism and impermissible defamation.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Feb 25, 2025
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Najwyższy- 21.02.2025
- Case number
- II CSKP 459/23
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Civil proceedings concerning alleged antisemitic portrayal of the Polish underground resistance in a television series. Former resistance members and their association challenged a film that depicted the group as antisemitic and complicit in the Holocaust. The Supreme Court recognised the particular sensitivity and potential harm of attributing antisemitic traits to a historically identifiable group in the Polish context and referred questions to the CJEU on jurisdiction, highlighting the need for effective protection against collective stigmatisation while balancing freedom of expression.
Art. 23, Art. 24, Art. 43 Civil Code
Art. 1099, Art. 398¹³ Code of Civil Procedure
Art. 5(3) Regulation (EC) No 44/2001
Art. 267 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Art. 8 European Convention on Human Rights
- Name of Court
- Sąd Najwyższy - Izba Cywilna
- Date of decision
- Feb 21, 2025
- Subjects
- Artistic Freedom
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Najwyższy- 18.02.2025
- Case number
- II CSKP 1586/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Protection of personal rights in relation to the use of the expression “Polish extermination camp Treblinka.” A former Auschwitz prisoner challenged a foreign media publication for falsely attributing Nazi crimes to Poland, arguing that the wording distorted Holocaust history and violated his personal and national dignity. The Supreme Court held that such expressions carry serious defamatory potential and annulled the appellate decision for failing to properly assess Polish courts’ jurisdiction over harm suffered in Poland, remitting the case for reconsideration.
Art. 7(2) Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012
Art. 1099 § 1, Art. 397 § 11, Art. 387 § 3, Art. 398¹⁵ § 1 Code of Civil Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Najwyższy - Izba Cywilna
- Date of decision
- Feb 18, 2025
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Vince v Bailey - 11.02.2025
- Case number
- [2025] EWHC 287 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
This case concerns a libel claim by Dale Vince against Lord Bailey of Paddington arising from comments made on GB News and a crowdfunding website following a Times Radio interview about Hamas. The High Court considered the natural and ordinary meaning of the statements and whether they were capable of amounting to honest opinion. While rejecting the truth defence, the court held that an honest person could have held the opinion alleged and therefore refused the defendant’s application for summary judgment, allowing the claim to proceed to trial.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Feb 11, 2025
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Mond v Charity Commission for England and Wales - 06.02.2025
- Case number
- [2025] UKFTT 103 (GRC)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerns an appeal by Gary Mond against a decision of the Charity Commission for England and Wales disqualifying him from acting as a charity trustee. In setting out the factual background, the Tribunal records that the appellant had long-standing involvement in Jewish charitable organisations, including organisations concerned with Jewish communal affairs, and that the Commission’s decision related to concerns arising from his conduct, including social media activity; the Tribunal examined the lawfulness of the disqualification
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Feb 6, 2025
- Subjects
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Kielcach - 29.01.2025
- Case number
- II SA/Ke 518/24
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Judicial review of heritage protection of a former Jewish cemetery destroyed during the Holocaust. The case concerned the inclusion of privately owned land in a heritage register as a former Jewish cemetery, based on its historical link to antisemitic persecution and Jewish burial traditions despite the absence of visible remains. While recognising that Jewish cemeteries retain protected status even after wartime destruction, the court annulled the administrative decision because the factual basis for defining the cemetery’s boundaries was insufficiently substantiated and disproportionately affected property rights.
Art. 3(1), Art. 4, Art. 6(1)(f), Art. 6(1)(h), Art. 22(2) Act on the Protection and Care of Historic Monuments
Art. 14(1), Art. 14a(1)–(2), Art. 15(1) Regulation of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of 26 May 2011
Art. 3 § 2 point 4, Art. 134 § 1, Art. 146 § 1, Art. 200, Art. 205 § 2 Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
Art. 64(3) Constitution of the Republic of Poland
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Kielcach
- Date of decision
- Jan 29, 2025
- Subjects
- Attack on Jewish Places of Worship
- Cemetery Desecration
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Religion
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Rejonowy w Nysie - 15.01.2025
- Case number
- III RC 326/24
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns family law proceedings on child support, in which the court took into account the mother’s use of abusive language, including the term “parch,” a historically antisemitic slur; although the case did not involve hate speech as a separate legal issue, the court treated the use of such antisemitic and vulgar expressions as evidence of aggressive behavior and a harmful environment for the children, contributing to a negative assessment of her parental conduct and its impact on the children’s well being.
Art. 133 §1, Art. 135 §1, Art. 138 Family and Guardianship Code
- Name of Court
- Sąd Rejonowy w Nysie III Wydział Rodzinny i Nieletnich
- Date of decision
- Jan 15, 2025
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Rejonowy dla Warszawy-Środmieścia w Warszawie - 30.10.2024
- Case number
- V K 908/23
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Criminal proceedings concerning public insult and defamation committed online and involving explicit antisemitic narratives. The defendant published social-media content insulting and defaming a private prosecutor, including the use of historically antisemitic labels associated with the Holocaust. The court found that the conduct was ideologically motivated, intended to incite hostility and publicly humiliate the victim, and deliberately exploited antisemitic tropes with strong historical and stigmatizing meaning.
Art. 212 § 2, Art. 216 § 2, Art. 11 § 2 and § 3, Art. 212 § 3 Criminal Code
Art. 624 § 1 Code of Criminal Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Rejonowy dla Warszawy-Śródmieścia w Warszawie V Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Oct 30, 2024
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
AG Berlin-Tiergarten (Jugendrichter) - 28.10.2024
- Case number
- 426 Ds 1053/24 jug
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The case involves the conviction of a 20-year-old female student for approving crimes by distributing flyers shortly after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, and for physical assault and resistance against police officers during a later demonstration. The court had to weigh the limits of freedom of expression regarding specific statements in the flyers versus the criminal offense of endorsing mass murder and terrorism. The defendant distributed flyers in front of a Berlin high school. The front showed a fighter and the text "Palestine bursts its chains". The back described October 7, 2023, as a "historic moment for all liberation struggles of the world" and claimed Palestinian forces had "liberated large areas from the river to the sea". This case clarifies that while general political slogans may be protected, the explicit glorification of specific massacres is a punishable offense.
§ 140 No. 2 StGB (Approving Crimes), §§ 113, 114 StGB (Resistance and Assault on Law Enforcement), Art. 5 GG (Freedom of Expression), §§ 1, 105 JGG (Juvenile Justice Act).
- Name of Court
- AG Berlin-Tiergarten
- Date of decision
- Oct 28, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Pogroms and Violent Attacks on Persons
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
LAG Düsseldorf - 08.10.2024
- Case number
- 3 SLa 313/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The case concerns the validity of an extraordinary (without notice) termination of a long-term employee (a locksmith) following several antisemitic and violence-glorifying posts on his private Facebook account (asking where the next "demo against Jews" in North Rhine-Westphalia would take place). The core legal issue was whether a private, off-duty statement constitutes "good cause" for dismissal if the employee’s profile establishes a visible link to the employer’s brand. The court concluded that while the plaintiff's private statements were reprehensible, the employer's interests did not outweigh the employee's interest in continued employment to the point of immediate termination. A warning would have been the appropriate and sufficient response to address the breach of the duty of consideration. The plaintiff was ordered to be reinstated.
§ 626 BGB (Termination for Good Cause), § 241 II BGB (Duty of Consideration), Art. 5 GG (Freedom of Expression), §§ 130, 140 StGB (Criminal Code).
- Name of Court
- LAG Düsseldorf
- Date of decision
- Oct 8, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a. M. - 04.10.2024
- Case number
- 5 L 3492/24.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The case concerns the legality of a complete ban issued by the city of Frankfurt against a pro-Palestinian demonstration titled "For a Free Palestine – Victory belongs to Justice," which was scheduled to take place on October 7, 2024—the first anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel. The court granted the applicant’s urgent request to restore the suspensive effect of her objection, effectively overturning the ban. The respondent (the city of Frankfurt) banned the assembly, arguing that the date of October 7 is a uniquely sensitive day of mourning for the victims of the Hamas massacre. The authorities claimed that a pro-Palestinian demonstration on this specific day would be an "absolute provocation" and a threat to public order and social peace. The court held that the authorities relied on political considerations and speculation rather than concrete facts. While the applicant had made controversial statements in the past, her most recent assemblies had been peaceful. The court emphasized that a person’s political views or past investigations do not justify a total ban on their right to assemble.
HV Art. 14; HVersFG § 14 Abs. 2 S. 1; GG Art. 8 Abs. 1
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a. M.
- Date of decision
- Oct 4, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf - 25.09.2024
- Case number
- 18 K 3322/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The VG Düsseldorf ruled that a restriction prohibiting the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" at a public assembly was lawful to avert an immediate threat to public safety under § 13 (1) VersG NRW. The court classified the slogan as a prohibited symbol of the terrorist organization HAMAS (§ 86a StGB) and the banned association Samidoun (§ 20 VereinsG), emphasizing that its use in the current political context frequently serves as an action directly in favor of these organizations. A concrete danger prognosis was justified by the organizer's and participants' demonstrated personal and ideological proximity to the dissolved and extremist "Palästina Solidarität Duisburg" (PSDU) as well as Samidoun.
VersG NRW § 13 Abs. 1 S. 1; GG Art. 5, Art. 8; StGB §§ 86a Abs. 1 Nr. 1 i.V.m. 86 Abs. 1, Abs. 2; StGB §§ 86a Abs. 3 i.V.m. 86 Abs. 4; VereinsG §§ 20 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 5 i.V.m. 9 Abs. 1, Abs. 2; VereinsG §§ 20 Abs. 1 S. 2 i.V.m. 9 Abs. 1 S. 2
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf
- Date of decision
- Sep 25, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Queen Mary University of London v Persons Unknown - 20.09.2024
- Case number
- [2024] EWHC 2386 (Ch)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The High Court granted Queen Mary University of London a summary possession order in respect of part of its Mile End campus following an unauthorised student protest encampment. The court held that the occupation amounted to trespass and that reliance on rights to freedom of expression and assembly did not constitute a defence to the possession claim, particularly in light of significant operational disruption and safety concerns relating to upcoming graduation ceremonies.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Sep 20, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 09.08.2024
- Case number
- 10 CS 24.1382
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The VGH Munich upheld the prohibition of the slogan "From the river to the sea" during a public assembly, ruling that its use in this specific context fulfills the criminal elements of using symbols of terrorist organizations under § 86a StGB. According to the sources, an organizational link to the banned group HAMAS is established for an unbiased observer if the action appears to be directly in favor of the organization. Such a link does not require formal membership of the assembly leader but can be derived from a lack of distancing from HAMAS’s terrorist acts and the organizational support by groups that publicly glorified the October 7 attack.
VWGO § 80 Abs. 5, § 146 Abs. 1; BayVersG Art. 15 Abs. 1; GG Art. 5 Abs. 1 S. 1, Art. 8 Abs. 1; VereinsG § 20
- Name of Court
- Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof
- Date of decision
- Aug 9, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
AG Berlin-Tiergarten - 06.08.2024
- Case number
- 261b Cs 1037/24 231 Js 857/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The case concerns the criminal conviction of a 22-year-old German-Iranian student for approving crimes under § 140 StGB,. The defendant shouted the slogan "From the River to the Sea – Palestine will be free" during an unauthorized assembly in Berlin just four days after the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel. The court concluded that her actions were intended to legitimize the killings and kidnappings as a perceived "political liberation struggle".
StGB § 140 Abs. 1 Nr. 2
- Name of Court
- AG Berlin-Tiergarten
- Date of decision
- Aug 6, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Criminal Law
Sąd Okręgowy w Jeleniej Górze - 6.08.2024
- Case number
- VI Ka 309/24
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a neighbourhood conflict involving assault and insults, including antisemitic language directed at one party; the appellate court largely upheld the judgment, finding that the insult occurred immediately after a physical attack and thus had a reactive character, emphasising that even offensive expressions must be assessed in context, while rejecting self defence claims, identifying the other party as the initiator of violence, and recognising diminished responsibility of one defendant due to mental disturbances.
Art. 157 § 2, Art. 31 § 2, Art. 25 § 1, 2a, Art. 216 § 3 Criminal Code
Art. 7, Art. 438 pkt 2, 3, Art. 439, Art. 440, Art. 624 § 1 Code of Criminal Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy w Jeleniej Górze VI Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Aug 6, 2024
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Bautzen - 27.07.2024
- Case number
- 1 B 116/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
A restriction on freedom of assembly (in this case: a ban on assembly) may be justified in individual cases on the basis of the sole slogan of the assembly, ‘From the river to the sea – Palestine will be free’, provided that any interpretation that would not be punishable can be ruled out in the individual case. In individual cases, the assembly authority may base its discretion to ban an assembly on the fact that the applicant has refused to change such a sole assembly slogan as discussed in the cooperation meeting and that, as the assembly authority, it is not entitled to, to impose an alternative assembly slogan on the organiser or to order that the assembly be held without a slogan.
VwGO § 80 Abs. 5; VwGO § 146 Abs. 1 ;GG Art. 5 Abs. 1 ;GG Art. 8 Abs. 1; SächsVersG § 15; StGB § 86a Abs. 1 Nr. 1 i.V.m. § 86 Abs. 2
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Bautzen
- Date of decision
- Jul 27, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
University of Birmingham v Ali and Persons Unknown - 09.07.2024
- Case number
- [2024] EWHC 1770 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The University of Birmingham obtained a summary possession order to remove a student-led protest encampment from its campus. The High Court rejected arguments of discrimination and breaches of freedom of expression and assembly, holding that the decision was not motivated by the protesters’ views, that the University had complied with its public sector equality duty and statutory free-speech obligations, and that the occupation constituted trespass. Possession was granted and extended to the wider campus to prevent relocation.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Jul 9, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
University of Nottingham v Butterworth and Persons Unknown - 09.07.2024
- Case number
- [2024] EWHC 1771 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
This case concerned a claim by the University of Nottingham for summary possession of land on its Jubilee Campus following an unauthorised pro-Palestinian protest encampment. The defendants argued that eviction would unlawfully interfere with statutory free-speech protections and rights to peaceful assembly. The High Court rejected those arguments, holding that the encampment constituted trespass and that the University’s decision to seek possession was a lawful and proportionate response to the unauthorised occupation. The court granted summary possession, finding no realistic defence to the claim.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Jul 9, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 09.07.2024
- Case number
- 1 L 261/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The VG Berlin confirmed the legality of a restriction on a public assembly prohibiting the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," citing an immediate threat to public safety. The court found a sufficient suspicion of criminal liability under §§ 86a, 86 StGB and § 20 VereinsG, as the slogan is utilized as a symbol of the banned organizations HAMAS and Samidoun in the current assembly context. A concrete danger prognosis was justified by the applicant's failure to expressly distance themselves from HAMAS and their demonstrated proximity to other prohibited extremist groups.
VwGO § 80 Abs. 3 S. 1; VersFG BE § 14 Abs. 1; VersammlG § 15 Abs. 1; GG Art. 5 Abs. 1, Abs. 2; StGB § 86a Abs. 1 Nr. 1, § 86 Abs. 2; VereinsG § 20 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 5
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin
- Date of decision
- Jul 9, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Criminal Law
Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie - 9.07.2024
- Case number
- XXVI GC 837/23
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a financial penalty imposed on a radio broadcaster for allegedly antisemitic content, based on statements interpreted by the regulator as demeaning Holocaust victims; the court annulled the decision, holding that the finding of antisemitism resulted from a misinterpretation and decontextualization of the broadcast, emphasising that the contested phrase did not refer to Jewish victims or any protected group, and that accusations of antisemitism must be based on clear and direct content rather than speculative associations, as overbroad interpretations risk infringing freedom of expression.
Art. 18(1), Art. 53 Broadcasting Act
Art. 54 Constitution of the Republic of Poland
Art. 10 European Convention on Human Rights
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie XXVI Wydział Gospodarczy
- Date of decision
- Jul 9, 2024
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 26.06.2024
- Case number
- 10 CS 24.1062
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The VGH Munich overturned a lower court's decision and suspended a restriction that prohibited the slogan "From the river to the sea" at a public assembly, ruling the ban disproportionate and a violation of the freedoms of assembly and expression (Art. 8, Art. 5 GG). The court clarified that the slogan's inclusion in the Federal Ministry of the Interior's list regarding HAMAS does not automatically render its use criminal; instead, criminal liability under §§ 86, 86a StGB depends on individual circumstances and a demonstrable organizational link. In this specific case, the city failed to provide evidence for a pro-terrorist context, as the assembly’s theme focused on "peace and freedom for all" and the organizer had no known extremist ties.
VwGO § 80 Abs. 5, § 146 Abs. 1; BayVersG Art. 15 Abs. 1; GG Art. 5 Abs. 1, Art. 8 Abs. 1; StGB § 86, § 86a; VereinsG § 20
- Name of Court
- Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof
- Date of decision
- Jun 26, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Andrew Bridgen v Matt Hancock - 26.06.2024
- Case number
- [2024] EWHC 1603 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The proceedings concerned a defamation claim arising from a tweet in which statements made by an unnamed Member of Parliament were described as dangerous, antisemitic, anti-scientific, and conspiratorial in the context of vaccinations. The antisemitism-related core issue was whether the tweet should be understood as attributing antisemitism as a matter of fact to an identifiable individual, or merely as a sharply worded political opinion about the nature of the statements made. The court held, as preliminary issues, that the tweet was predominantly an expression of opinion directed at the content of the statements rather than at the individual as an antisemite, with only the fact that something had been said being classified as a factual assertion. Defamation Act 2013, section 1; Defamation Act 2013, section 3; Human Rights Act 1998, section 12.
- Name of Court
- High Court Of Justice King's Bench Divison Media And Communications List
- Date of decision
- Jun 26, 2024
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg - 21.06.2024
- Case number
- 14 S 956/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The VGH Mannheim upheld a restriction prohibiting the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" during a public assembly, ruling that its use posed an immediate threat to public safety under § 15 Abs. 1 VersG. Consequently, the restriction of the freedoms of assembly and expression (Art. 8, Art. 5 GG) was deemed proportionate, as the public interest in preventing irreversible criminal acts and effectively enforcing organizational bans outweighs the organizer's interest in using that specific wording.
GG Art. 8; VersG § 15 Abs. 1; VwGO § 80 Abs. 5
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg
- Date of decision
- Jun 21, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
LG Berlin I (2. große Strafkammer) - 20.06.2024
- Case number
- (502 KLs) 177 Js 1/23 (2/24)
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The case involves the criminal conviction of a defendant for several posts on her public Instagram account between August 2022 and October 2023. The posts included antisemitic incitement (for example: Posting a photo of Jewish worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque with the caption: "A suicide attack there would be commendable, by Allah"), the glorification of the October 7 Hamas attacks, and calls for violent riots in Berlin. The defendant, who acted out of anti-Semitic motives, wanted to use this post to call on all those who had access to her Instagram account to kill people of the Jewish faith or Israeli nationality in Germany and elsewhere. The court found the defendant guilty of incitement to hatred, public solicitation of crimes, and the approval of crimes.
StGB § 86 Abs. 1, Abs. 2, Abs. 3, § 111 Abs. 1 und 2, § 130 Abs. 1 Nrn. 1 und 2, § 140 Nr. 2, 52, 53, 74
- Name of Court
- Landgericht Berlin
- Date of decision
- Jun 20, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Constitutional Law
- Criminal Law
University of Birmingham v Persons Unknown - 19.06.2024
- Case number
- [2024] EWHC 1529 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerns a possession claim by the University of Birmingham against student protesters who set up encampments on university land during Gaza-related protests. The Court considered licensing and protest rights in relation to property rights and granted possession for certain areas.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Jun 19, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Białymstoku - 17.05.2024
- Case number
- II AKa 29/24
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Criminal liability for promoting a fascist system through Nazi symbolism with inherent antisemitic meaning. The accused participated in producing audiovisual materials featuring Nazi gestures and swastika imagery intended for online dissemination. The Court of Appeal held that such symbolism is inseparable from the antisemitic and genocidal ideology of National Socialism and constitutes public promotion of a fascist system. The use of Nazi symbols was treated as inherently antisemitic and significantly aggravating due to Poland’s historical experience of the Holocaust.
Art. 256 § 1 and § 2, Art. 258 § 1 Criminal Code
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Białymstoku II Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- May 17, 2024
- Subjects
- Antijudaist Iconography
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Bydgoszczy - 8.05.2024
- Case number
- II SA/Bd 730/23
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a Jewish cemetery and a challenge by a Jewish religious organisation to its removal from part of the heritage register; the administrative court rejected the complaint without examining the merits, holding that the organisation lacked legal standing because such registry actions are technical measures involving only the property owner, and that although the case related to Jewish cultural and religious heritage, the organisation could only participate in earlier formal administrative proceedings, not in this type of action.
Art. 22 Act on the Protection of Monuments and the Guardianship of Monuments
Art. 3 § 2, Art. 50 § 1, Art. 58 § 1 Code of Administrative Procedure before Administrative Courts
§ 14, § 15 Regulation of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (26 May 2011)
- Name of Court
- Sąd Administracyjny w Bydgoszczy
- Date of decision
- May 8, 2024
- Subjects
- Cemetery Desecration
- Freedom of Religion
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Bremen - 30.04.2024
- Case number
- 1 B 163/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Conditions imposed on a public assembly (Auflagen für eine Versammlung) - the authority's appeal against the first-instance decision in the expedited proceedings in favor of the organizer of a pro-Palestinian demonstration is partially successful.
Art. 8 GG; § 15 I VersammlG
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Bremen
- Date of decision
- Apr 30, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Bremen - 29.04.2024
- Case number
- 5 V 1013/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Conditions imposed on a public assembly (Auflagen für eine Versammlung) - the court granted interim relief restoring suspensive effect against conditions (Auflagen) on a pro-Palestinian assembly, holding that the banned expressions (“From the river to the sea. Palestine will be free,” “Child murderer Israel,” and an image of Israel in Palestinian colors) were unlikely to constitute criminal offenses.
Art. 8 GG; § 15 I VersammlG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Bremen
- Date of decision
- Apr 29, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Olsztynie - 25.04.2024
- Case number
- II SA/Ol 172/24
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a refusal to grant veteran status based on alleged wartime assistance to Jews, where the applicant relied on his family’s actions in hiding Jewish persons during the occupation; the court upheld the refusal, holding that as a young child he could not have consciously and intentionally provided such assistance, and that the statutory concept of aiding Jews requires personal and deliberate action which cannot be attributed to a minor lacking awareness.
Art. 2 point 31 Act on Combatants
Art. 7, Art. 8, Art. 75 § 1, Art. 77 § 1 Code of Administrative Procedure
Art. 133 § 1, Art. 134 § 1, Art. 145, Art. 151 Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Olsztynie
- Date of decision
- Apr 25, 2024
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Tribunal judiciaire de Paris - 24.04.2024
- Case number
- n° 24/51424
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Following the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli military response, the daily newspaper Ouest-France published a front page with the headline "Gaza under bombs" (Gaza sous les bombes). On October 10, 2023, an anonymous user under the handle @chacha28011 posted a tweet featuring a portrait of the plaintiff, [C]-[S] [W], alongside the journal's front page. The tweet stated that [W] "assumes his islamo-leftism and his most abject antisemitism" and referred to him and the staff as "traitors in the pay of the Foreigner" and "journaleux". M. [W] sought a court order for X to delete the tweet, provide the user's identification data, and pay damages. While the court acknowledged the remarks were "outrageous" (outranciers), it ruled that they did not constitute a manifest abuse of freedom of expression.
des articles 6 I 8 de la loi pour la confiance en l’économie numérique du 21 juin 2004 (LCEN) modifiée, 29 alinéa 1er et 32 alinéa 1er de la loi du 29 juillet 1881, 223-1-1 du code pénal et 839 et 481-1 du code de procédure civile
- Name of Court
- Tribunal judiciaire de Paris
- Date of decision
- Apr 24, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
- Constitutional Law
Verwaltungsgericht Bremen - 19.04.2024
- Case number
- 5 V 949/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The case concerns an urgent application for preliminary legal protection against content-based restrictions imposed on a pro-Palestinian demonstration titled "Demo against arms deliveries to Israel". The court was asked to decide whether the city of Bremen could preemptively ban specific slogans and symbols based on concerns regarding public safety and potential criminal acts. Specifically challenged were the bans on images of the Israeli state territory filled with the colors of the Palestinian flag, the slogan "From the River to the sea. Palestine will be free." and The slogan "Kindermörder Israel" (Israel child-murderer). The court granted the applicant's request and reinstated the suspensive effect of her objection, finding the restrictions likely unlawful. The court emphasized that when restrictions target the content of a speech, the interpretation must favor freedom of expression. If an utterance is ambiguous and has non-criminal interpretations, the court must adopt the interpretation that is not punishable.
VersG § 15 Abs. 1; StGB § 130 Abs. 1, § 126 Abs. 1 Nr. 3, § 140; GG Art. 8
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Bremen
- Date of decision
- Apr 19, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Dr T Cutler v Information Commissioner & Anor - 12.04.2024
- Case number
- [2024] UKUT 119 (AAC)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerned an appeal relating to a Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) request addressed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) following its report on antisemitism in the Labour Party. The antisemitism-related core arose from questions about the EHRC’s treatment of evidence concerning alleged antisemitic comments and whether a passage in its report reflected a drafting error or a factual finding. The Upper Tribunal held that the appellant’s communication did not constitute a valid “request for information” within the meaning of s. 8(1)(c) FOIA, as it sought clarification, opinion, or reconsideration rather than recorded information held by the authority. Although the First-tier Tribunal had erred procedurally by striking out the appeal on a ground not raised by the parties, the Upper Tribunal re-made the decision and struck out the appeal because it had no reasonable prospect of success. Freedom of Information Act 2000, ss. 1(1), 8(1); Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, s. 12; Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (General Regulatory Chamber) Rules 2009, r. 8(3)(c), 8(4).
- Name of Court
- Upper Tribunal (Adminstrative Appeals Chamber)
- Date of decision
- Apr 12, 2024
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- Discrimination
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Wilson v Mendelsohn -10.04.2024
- Case number
- [2024] EWHC 821 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Defamation - Wilson v Mendelsohn concerns a dispute over offensive and defamatory posts on social media that arose from a personal dispute and were later disseminated publicly. The parties involved were engaged in a public debate on antisemitism, Israel and Zionism, to which the online posts referred. The High Court dealt exclusively with the civil law question of whether the publications were unlawful and did not make any decision on the substantive assessment of antisemitism.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Apr 10, 2024
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg - 03.04.2024
- Case number
- 2 S 496/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Whether the use of the slogan ‘From the river to the sea’ in the context of a gathering constitutes a criminal offence cannot be conclusively answered in the summary examination required in summary proceedings and with the limited means of investigation available. On this basis, it is permissible to weigh up the interests of the respective applicant in using the slogan against the public interest in preventing this, and to evaluate them. This weighing up of interests is in favour of the public interest and thus against the use of the slogan at a public assembly.
GG Art. 8; VersG BW § 15 Abs. 1; VwGO § 80 Abs. 5
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg
- Date of decision
- Apr 3, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Kassel - 22.03.2024
- Case number
- 8 B 560/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The court ruled that restricting the slogan ‘From the river to the sea, ...’ under assembly law during a pro-Palestinian demonstration is unlawful, as it does not constitute a criminal offence and therefore does not endanger public safety.
In its reasoning, the court states that expressions of opinion are only relevant under assembly law if they constitute a criminal offence. The slogan ‘From the river to the sea, ...’ is not uniformly considered punishable in case law and literature. After a summary examination, the court found that the slogan was not punishable under Sections 140 No. 2, 111, 130 (1) of the German Criminal Code (StGB) or Section 20 (1) sentence 1 No. 5 of the German Association Act (VereinsG). The slogan as such does not contain a compelling call for armed struggle against Israel and can also be understood as criticism of Israeli policy.
GG Art. 5 Abs. 1, Art. 8; HVersFG § 14 Abs. 1; StGB § 111, § 130 Abs. 1, § 140 Nr. 2; VereinsG § 20 Abs. 1
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof Kassel
- Date of decision
- Mar 22, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
VGH Kassel (8. Senat) - 22.03.2024
- Case number
- 8 B 565/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The court upheld the decision of the Administrative Court of Frankfurt am Main to restore the suspensive effect of the appeal against restrictions on the right of assembly, as there was no sufficient threat to public safety posed by the planned statements at the pro-Palestine rally.
The restrictions on freedom of assembly imposed by the respondent, which prohibited the chanting of certain slogans, were deemed manifestly unlawful by the court. The court stated that a concrete threat to public safety or order that would justify a restriction cannot be based solely on the political and legal conflict potential of the Middle East conflict. Rather, there must be concrete indications of a high probability of harm occurring. The respondent was unable to provide such indications. In addition, it was found that freedom of expression under Article 5 of the Basic Law and freedom of assembly under Article 8 of the Basic Law are high-ranking legal interests that cannot be restricted on the basis of mere assumptions. In particular, in the case of ambiguous statements, the interpretation that is still covered by freedom of expression must be taken as a basis. The court emphasized that in the event of criminally relevant slogans being used during the assembly, the competent authorities must take the necessary measures depending on the situation.
VereinsG § 9 Abs. 1 S. 2, § 20 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 1; GG Art. 5, Art. 8; HVersFG § 14 Abs. 1; StGB § 111, § 126, § 130
- Name of Court
- VGH Kassel
- Date of decision
- Mar 22, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a. M. - 21.03.2024
- Case number
- 5 L 940/24.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The VG Frankfurt a. M. suspended a restriction that prohibited the slogan "From the river to the sea" at a public assembly, ruling the ban likely unlawful due to an insufficient danger prognosis regarding public safety. The ruling emphasizes that the slogan is multi-interpretable and not exclusively attributable to HAMAS, especially when the organizer explicitly advocates for a peaceful Palestine with equal rights for all. Since no concrete evidence linked the assembly to terrorist goals and the police anticipated a peaceful course, a blanket prohibition was deemed a disproportionate infringement on the freedoms of assembly and expression.
GG Art. 5, Art. 8 Abs. 1; HVersFG § 14 Abs. 1
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a. M.
- Date of decision
- Mar 21, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt am Main, 5. Kammer - 21.03.2024
- Case number
- 5 L 973/24.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
This case involves an urgent legal challenge against restrictions imposed on a pro-Palestinian assembly titled "Stop the war in Gaza Save Rafah," scheduled for March 23, 2024, in Frankfurt. The city authorities (the respondent) had issued a decree prohibiting specific slogans and calls, which contain a ban calling for the destruction of Israel and a ban on the slogans "Jews child killers" ("Juden Kindermörder") and "From the river to the sea" (in any language). The Court found that restrictions require an immediate danger to public safety based on concrete and comprehensible facts. The court ruled that mere suspicions, vague conjectures, or the organizer’s affiliation with the non-banned association "Palestine e.V." were insufficient to justify the bans. Regarding the phrase "Jews child killers," the court acknowledged its criminal relevance under § 130 StGB but found no concrete evidence that it would actually be used during this specific assembly, especially since the organizer had distanced herself from antisemitism. The court ruled that the police should instead intervene on-site if such crimes occur rather than banning them preemptively.
§ 14 Abs. 1 HVersFG, Art. 8 Abs. 1 GG, Art. 5 Abs. 1 GG, § 130 StGB, § 86a StGB, § 20 VereinsG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt am Main
- Date of decision
- Mar 21, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Andrew Bridgen MP v Matt Hancock MP - 20.03.2024
- Case number
- [2024] EWHC 623 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Defamation – Former MP Andrew Bridgen sued Matthew Hancock for publicly criticising Bridgen's comparison of the Covid vaccination campaign to the Holocaust as an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Hancock was responding to a tweet by Bridgen and described such comparisons as unacceptable. The court clarified that Hancock's statement was not a factual claim about Bridgen's character, but a permissible expression of opinion.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Mar 20, 2024
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care v General Pharmaceutical Council & Anor – 14.03.2024
- Case number
- [2024] EWHC 577 (Admin)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Disciplinary proceedings against a pharmacist – he had publicly stated at a rally on Al Quds day in London that the Grenfell fire was also caused by Zionist interests in the Tory party – he has on many other occasions made similar remarks – concerns question whether the comments are offensive and/or antisemitic and whether he is fit to practise pharmacy
Pharmacy Order 2010, Standards for pharmacy professionals, s 29(4) National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002
- Name of Court
- High Court of Justice (King’s Bench Division)
- Date of decision
- Mar 14, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related Incidents
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - 14.03.2024
- Case number
- VI ACa 1204/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Civil liability for online dissemination of Holocaust-denial content and facilitation of hate speech. The case concerned a foundation that republished a private individual’s image alongside a Holocaust-denial statement, triggering antisemitic and dehumanising abuse by third parties. The court held that combating Holocaust denial does not justify exposing a private individual to foreseeable hate and harassment, and that social-media administrators may be liable for maintaining such content. A violation of dignity and the right to image was found, while claims relating to reputation and monetary compensation were rejected.
Art. 6, Art. 23, Art. 24 § 1, Art. 448 Civil Code
Art. 81 § 1 Act on Copyright and Related Rights
Art. 14 § 1 Act on the Provision of Electronic Services
Art. 233 § 1, Art. 350 § 1 and § 3, Art. 385, Art. 386 § 1 and § 6, Art. 100 Code of Civil Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie VI Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Mar 14, 2024
- Subjects
- Compensation
- General right to personality
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Landgericht Berlin II - 05.03.2024
- Case number
- 67 S 179/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Appeal against a judgement (Berufung gegen ein Urteil) - the defendant was given notice to leave his flat due to anti-Semitic statements; this is not considered effective due to the defendant's schizophrenia; the appeal is unsuccessful.
§ 573 II Nr. 1 BGB
- Name of Court
- Landgericht Berlin II (67. Zivilkammer)
- Date of decision
- Mar 5, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 26.02.2024
- Case number
- 31 K 18/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Revocation of the firearms license (Widerruf von Waffenbesitzkarten) - the court denied the plaintiff’s request to overturn the revocation of two firearm licenses, finding that his membership in the Reichsbürger movement showed he lacked the reliability required under German firearms law.
§ 42 II, 113 I 1 VwGO; §§ 4 i Nr. 2, 5 I Nr. 2, 45, 46 WaffG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin (31. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Feb 26, 2024
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Koblenz (5. Kammer) -20.02.2024
- Case number
- 5 K 733/23.KO
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action against dismissal from civil service probationary employment (Klage gegen eine Entlassung aus dem Bemamtenverhältnis auf Probe) – the plaintiff was dismissed because of his membership in a chat group in which antisemitic content was disseminated.
§§ 42 II, 113 I 1, 117 V, 124, 124a, 154 I, 167 II VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Koblenz
- Date of decision
- Feb 20, 2024
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Tribunal administratif de Lyon - 16.02.2024
- Case number
- n° 2401449
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Incitement, Artistic Freedom (Incitation, Liberté artistique) - The rapper Freezer Corleone applied for interim legal protection to lift a ban imposed by the Prefect of the Rhône on his planned concert - The Prefect justified the ban on the grounds of the risk of disturbances to public order due to antisemitic statements, apologies for National Socialism and terrorism in the artist's lyrics, especially against the backdrop of current political tensions - The court rejected the application, as the ban was considered proportionate and lawful in view of the serious threat to human dignity and public safety
Art. L. 521-2 du code de justice administrative; Art. 421-2-5 du code pénal
- Name of Court
- Tribunal administratif de Lyon
- Date of decision
- Feb 16, 2024
- Subjects
- Artistic Freedom
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof München - 12.02.2024
- Case number
- 4 C 23.1887, 4 C 23.1888
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Complaint against a search and seizure order under association law (Beschwerde gegen eine vereinsrechtliche Durchsuchungs- und Beschlagnahmeanordnung) - The court upheld searches tied to the ban of “Die Artgemeinschaft,” finding its racist and antisemitic ideology akin to National Socialism and thus justifying prohibition.
§ 3 Abs. 1, § 4 Abs. 4, § 10 Abs. 2, Abs. 5 S. 2 VereinsG; § 146 Abs. 1 VwGO; Art. 9 GG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof München
- Date of decision
- Feb 12, 2024
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
R (on the application of Z and others) v Hackney London Borough Council and Agudas Israel Housing Association Ltd
- Case number
- [2019] EWHC 139 (Admin)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
This case concerns a judicial review of the allocation of housing by an Orthodox Jewish housing association. The High Court ruled that the allocation practice, which was geared towards the Orthodox Jewish community, was lawful under the exceptions of the Equality Act 2010.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Feb 4, 2024
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Miller v University of Bristol – 31.01.2024
- Case number
- ET/1400780/2022
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Freedom of speech, Discrimination, Academic Freedom – Concerns the dismissal of a university professor for antizionist teachings – the professor claims unfair and wrongful dismissal – tribunal finds that his antizionists beliefs qualify as a philosophical belief that is protected by law
Section 13 Equality Act 2010; Sections 122(2), 123 (6) Employment Rights Act 1996
- Name of Court
- Bristol Employment Tribunal
- Date of decision
- Jan 31, 2024
- Subjects
- Academic Freedom
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Vincent Raynouard v. His Majesty’s Advocate (representing the French Republic)- 26.01.2024
- Case number
- [2024] HCJAC 2
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Holocaust denial – person accused in France for denying the holocaust files an extradition appeal – court affirms the decision of the Edinburgh Sheriff Court and refuses leave to appeal
sec 64 and 21a Extradition Act 2003
- Name of Court
- Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
- Date of decision
- Jan 26, 2024
- Subjects
- Asylum and other issues of residence
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Landgericht Ellwangen - 24.01.2024
- Case number
- 1 O 73/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Injunction (Unterlassungsklage) - the defendant is sued to stop making offensive statements - calling people antisemites or idiots; vilifying criticism.
§§ 823, 1004 BGB; §§ 185, 186 StGB
- Name of Court
- Landgericht Ellwangen (1. Zivilkammer)
- Date of decision
- Jan 24, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Bundesverfassungsgericht - 23.01.24
- Case number
- BvB 1/19
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Exclusion of a party from state funding (Ausschluss einer Partei von der staatlichen Finanzierung) - the Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that the respective party is excluded from state funding for a period of six years - Concerns the NPD/Die Heimat
§ 18 PartG; Art. 21 Abs. 3 Satz 1, Art. 93 Abs. 1 Nr. 5 GG in Verbindung mit § 13 Nr. 2a, §§ 43 ff. BVerfGG
- Name of Court
- Bundesverfassungsgericht
- Date of decision
- Jan 23, 2024
- Subjects
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Constitutional Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Jewish Medical Association (UK) v The Information Commissioner & Anor - 21.01.2024
- Case number
- [2024] UKFTT 00061 (GRC)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The dispute concerned a request for disclosure of legal advice on the definition of antisemitism relied upon by a regulatory authority when handling complaints against doctors. The antisemitism-related core issue was whether, and on what legal basis, different definitions of antisemitism were applied and whether this gave rise to an overriding public interest in transparency. The Tribunal upheld the refusal of disclosure, finding that the legal advice was protected by legal professional privilege and that the public interest in maintaining that protection outweighed the interest in disclosure. Freedom of Information Act 2000, section 42; Freedom of Information Act 2000, section 2(2)(b).
- Name of Court
- First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber)
- Date of decision
- Jan 21, 2024
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Religion
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Dorian Grehold v The Information Commissioner & Anor - 17.01.2024
- Case number
- [2024] UKFTT 00040 (GRC)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerned an appeal under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 against a refusal by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to disclose minutes and related documents concerning the choice of location and specification of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. The antisemitism-related core lay in the broader policy context of establishing a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, including considerations about how antisemitism and the Holocaust would be addressed in its content. The Tribunal held that the requested information related to the formulation or development of government policy within s. 35(1)(a) FOIA and that the policy remained “live” because planning permission had not been secured and legislative obstacles were still unresolved. Applying the public interest test, the Tribunal found that the need to protect a “safe space” for ongoing policy development outweighed the public interest in disclosure and dismissed the appeal. Freedom of Information Act 2000, s. 35(1)(a), s. 57.
- Name of Court
- First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber), United Kingdom
- Date of decision
- Jan 17, 2024
- Subjects
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bayerisches Oberstes Landesgericht - 15.01.2024
- Case number
- 207 StRR 440/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of speech, Incitement (Meinungsfreiheit, Volksverhetzung) - a former AfD Member of Parliament uploaded a video on Facebook in which he compares the measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic with the 1938 pogroms - the appeal is granted.
Art. 5 I GG; § 130 III StGB
- Name of Court
- Bayerisches Oberstes Landesgericht
- Date of decision
- Jan 15, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Köln - 12.01.2024
- Case number
- 9 L 67/24
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The VG Köln restored the suspensive effect of a lawsuit against a preventive house ban issued by a university to prevent potential disruptions of a lecture by the Israeli ambassador. The court ruled that measures based on university house rights (§ 18 HG NRW) require a viable danger prognosis of future disturbances, which cannot be based on mere "likes" of boycott calls or the previous use of the slogan "From the river to the sea". It further clarified that the intent to ask critical or unpleasant questions during a sanctioned discussion does not constitute a disruption of university operations per se. A house ban was also deemed disproportionate, as the university failed to establish why milder means—such as security checks or removing the person only in the event of an actual disturbance—would be insufficient.
§ 18 Abs. 1 Satz 4 HG NRW.
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Köln
- Date of decision
- Jan 12, 2024
- Subjects
- Academic Freedom
- Freedom of Speech
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
LG München I - 03.01.2024
- Case number
- 29 Qs 27/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The case concerns the legality of a search warrant issued against a third party (the appellant) who had registered a pro-Palestinian "solidarity action" in Munich on October 9, 2023. The search was ordered to identify an unknown individual who, via the Instagram account of a local organization linked to the appellant, had posted comments allegedly approving the atrocities committed by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023. The Local Court (Amtsgericht) Munich issued a search warrant for the appellant's home and electronic devices, suspecting that these statements constituted the approval of criminal acts (§ 140 No. 2 StGB) and that evidence to identify the unknown poster could be found on the appellant's devices due to his functional relationship with the organization. The appellant filed a complaint, arguing a lack of initial suspicion and a violation of freedom of expression. The Regional Court dismissed the appeal, confirming the search warrant's lawfulness.
"GG Art. 5, Art. 13 StPO § 102, § 103; StGB § 140 Nr. 2 "
- Name of Court
- LG München I
- Date of decision
- Jan 3, 2024
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M. - 22.12.2023
- Case number
- 5 L 4164/23.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for restoration of the suspensive effect (Antrag auf Wiederherrstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - The court declared the ban on the demonstration “Stop the Genocide in Gaza! End the Occupation of Palestine!” unlawful. It held that references to criminal provisions alone cannot justify a prohibition; the alleged danger must be concretely linked to statutory elements. Freedom of expression protects even controversial or potentially antisemitic views unless they clearly constitute a criminal offense. Authorities must apply milder measures before imposing a total ban.
GG Art. 8 Abs. 1 HV Art. 14 HVersFG § 14 Abs. 2 S. 1 Alt. 1 HVersFG § 14
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M.
- Date of decision
- Dec 22, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 20.12.2023
- Case number
- 1 L 507/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for restoration of the suspensive effect (Antrag auf Wiederherrstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - The Court allowed a pro-Palestinian assembly but prohibited the slogan “From the river to the sea, you will get the hug you need.” A blanket ban was disproportionate (§ 14 VersFG BE), yet the slogan was deemed potentially criminal (§§ 86a, 86 StGB; § 20 VereinsG).
§ 14 Abs. 1 VersammlFrhG BE; §§ 86a Abs. 1 Nr 1, 86 Abs. 2 StGB; § 20 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 5 VereinsG; § 80 Abs. 5 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin
- Date of decision
- Dec 20, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf - 19.12.2023
- Case number
- 6 StS 1/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Attempting an arson attack on a synagogue and attempted incitement (Verabredung und Versuch eines Brandanschlags an einer Synagoge, versuchte Anstiftung) - The accused was accused of an attack on the synagogue in Bochum acting on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran - He tried to recruit a fried as an accomplice for this plan
§§ 306 Abs. 1, 306a Abs. 1 Nr. 2, 22, 23, 30 Abs. 2 Variante 3, 53 StGB
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf
- Date of decision
- Dec 19, 2023
- Subjects
- Attack on Jewish Places of Worship
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- International Crimes
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg - 17.12.2023
- Case number
- 12 S 1947/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Appeal against desicion (Beschwerde gegen Beschluss) - the court reviewed restrictions on slogans at a pro-Palestine demonstration, focusing on “From the river to the sea…” and “Israel child murderer.” It held that banning speech requires clear incitement or a concrete threat to public safety; thus, prohibiting “Israel child murderer” was unlawful, while restrictions on “From the river to the sea…” were upheld given its unresolved status under association and criminal law.
GG Art. 5 Abs. 1 S. 1; VwGO § 80 Abs. 5; VersG BW § 15 Abs. 1; VereinsG § 20 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 5; StGB § 130
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg
- Date of decision
- Dec 17, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M. - 15.12.2023
- Case number
- 5 L 4070/23.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Versammlungsfreiheit (Freedom of Assembly) - The court annulled a restriction on a demonstration themed “Peace in the Middle East,” where the city had banned calls for Israel’s destruction. The Court held that such a ban requires specific, foreseeable danger, not speculation or general references to criminal law. By failing to show concrete risk of antisemitic incitement at this protest, the city’s measure violated the right to assembly.
HV Art. 14; HVersFG § 14 Abs. 1; StGB § 111
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M.
- Date of decision
- Dec 15, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bundesverwaltungsgericht - 14.12.2023
- Case number
- 1 WB 35.22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Applicant objects to the finding of a security risk (Antragsteller wendet sich gegen die Feststellung eines Sicherheitsrisikos) - the court annulled a security risk finding against a soldier who, while heavily intoxicated (3.05 ‰), assaulted a bouncer and made antisemitic remarks (“You with your dirty Jew nose, you all belong gassed!”). The Court held that although such conduct can raise serious doubts about reliability and constitutional loyalty, the authority’s risk prognosis was legally flawed, requiring reassessment.
WBO § 17 Abs. 1 S. 2, § 21 Abs. 1 S. 1, Abs. 2 S. 1; SÜG § 5 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 1, Nr. 3, § 14 Abs. 3; SG § 8, § 13 Abs. 1
- Name of Court
- Bundesverwaltungsgericht
- Date of decision
- Dec 14, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Sachsen-Anhalt - 12.12.2023
- Case number
- 3 P 85/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Search and seizure order (Durchschuchungs- und Beschlagnahmeanordnung) - The court dismissed the appeal against a search and seizure order related to the ban of an antisemitic and National Socialist-oriented association. It confirmed the legality of the measure, holding that a summary review of the grounds for the ban – including the dissemination of racist and antisemitic content – was sufficient.
§§ 3 Abs. 1, 4 Abs. 4 Satz 2, 10 Abs. 2 Satz 1 VereinsG; §§ 10 Abs. 2 Satz 5, 146 Abs. 4 VwGO; § 148 Abs. 1, 572 Abs. 3 ZPO
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Sachsen-Anhalt
- Date of decision
- Dec 12, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin (3. Kammer) - 07.12.2023
- Case number
- 3 A 126-22 SN
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Firearms Law Unreliability (Waffenrechtliche Unzuverlässigkeit) - The court overturned the revocation of a police officer’s firearms license, finding no proof she sought to overthrow the constitutional order or that her address error was a serious violation. Alleged ties to the “NORD KREUZ” group and holding anti-constitutional views alone were deemed insufficient for unreliability under firearms law.
§§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 2, Abs. 2 Nr. 3, Nr. 5, 45 Abs. 2 WaffG; §§ 42, 113 Abs. 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin
- Date of decision
- Dec 7, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin - 07.12.2023
- Case number
- 3 A 1408/21 SN
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Firearms Law Unreliability (Waffenrechtliche Unzuverlässigkeit) - the court upheld an action for annulment against a revocation notice, ruling the withdrawal of a man’s gun licence unlawful. Although allegedly antisemitic due to his membership in the “NORD KREUZ” prepper group, which shares such views, the court found no proof he or the group aimed to overthrow the constitutional order. Unconstitutional beliefs alone, it held, do not justify licence revocation without evidence of active intent to undermine the state.
§§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 2, Abs. 2 Nr. 3, Nr. 5, 45 Abs. 2 WaffG; §§ 42, 113 Abs. 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin
- Date of decision
- Dec 7, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin - 07.12.2023
- Case number
- 3 A 1162/22 SN
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Firearms Law Unreliability (Waffenrechtliche Unzuverlässigkeit) - the court upheld the lawful revocation of a man’s firearms licenses, finding his involvement with the “NORD KREUZ” prepper group—which shares antisemitic ideas—showed unreliability under weapons law. While no anti-constitutional aims were proven, his preparations for societal collapse and related weapons activities posed a public safety risk, making his legal challenge unsuccessful.
§§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 2, Abs. 2 Nr. 3, Nr. 5, 45 Abs. 2 WaffG; §§ 42, 113 Abs. 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin
- Date of decision
- Dec 7, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Hessischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 02.12.2023
- Case number
- 2 B 1715/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of Assembly (Versammlungsfreiheit) - The court ruled on restrictions for a “Peace in the Middle East” demonstration, balancing public safety with freedom of assembly and expression. It upheld bans on “From the river to the sea” (linked to Hamas) and “Juden Kindermörder” (incitement to hatred), but overturned bans on phrases like “Kindermörder Israel,” “Israel kills children,” and calls to deny Israel’s right to exist, finding these protected under free speech.
Art. 8 Abs. 1 GG, Art. 14 HV, § 14 Abs. 1 HVersFG
- Name of Court
- Hessischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof
- Date of decision
- Dec 2, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
Oberverwaltungsgericht Münster - 02.12.2023
- Case number
- 15 B 1323/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of Assembly (Versammlungsfreiheit) - The court partially overturned a lower court’s ruling on protest slogan bans. It allowed the use of “Stop the Genocide/Holocaust,” finding it did not constitute incitement to hatred, but upheld the ban on “From the river to the sea” due to its possible link to Hamas and unresolved legal assessment in expedited proceedings.
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Münster
- Date of decision
- Dec 2, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf - 01.12.2023
- Case number
- 18 L 3167/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of Assembly (Versammlungsfreiheit) - The court rejected the request for preliminary legal protection against a ban on certain slogans, such as “Stop the Genocide,” at a pro-Palestinian assembly. It found the restriction likely lawful on public safety grounds.
Art. 5, 8 GG; § 13 Abs. 1 VersG NRW
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf
- Date of decision
- Dec 1, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Köln - 01.12.2023
- Case number
- 20 L 2423/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of Assembly (Versammlungsfreiheit) - The court overturned a police ban on a demonstration titled “Stop the Genocide in Gaza,” finding it did not constitute incitement or criminal approval and was protected by free expression. The court noted possible links to antisemitic narratives but held the slogan targeted Israel as a state, not a specific group in Germany.
§ 80 V VwGO; Art. 5 I GG; § 130 StGB; § 13 Abs. 2 Satz 1 VersG NRW
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Köln
- Date of decision
- Dec 1, 2023
- Subjects
- Artistic Freedom
- Freedom of Assembly
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M. (5. Kammer) - 01.12.2023
- Case number
- 5L 3868/23.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of assembly (Versammlungsfreiheit) – The court lifted restrictions on a demonstration under the slogan "Peace in the Middle East", including the ban on the slogan "From the river to the sea". Only the slogan ‘Jews are child murderers’ was considered clearly punishable, while other slogans must be evaluated in their context.
Art. 8 Abs. 1 GG, Art. 14 HV, § 14 Abs. 1 HVersFG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M.
- Date of decision
- Dec 1, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Leipzig - 30.11.2023
- Case number
- 3 K 1555/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
unsuccessfull action for annulment (erfolglose Anfechtungsklage) - the plaintiff is not held trustworthy to have a gun licence because he took part in an event called "Ausbruch 60" where antisemitic and right-wing extremist ideas were shared, as a result of which the gun licence was revoked, the plaintiff's action is unsuccessful, the revocation notice is lawful.
§§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 2, Abs. 2 Nr. 3, Nr. 5, 45 Abs. 2 WaffG; §§ 42, 113 Abs. 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Leipzig (3. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Nov 30, 2023
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Münster - 17.11.2023
- Case number
- 1 L 1011/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of Assembly (Versammlungsfreiheit) - the court overturned a police ban on two pro-Palestinian demonstrations, restoring the suspensive effect of the organiser’s legal challenge. The court held that slogans such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Child murderer Israel” did not in this context meet the legal threshold for criminal offences or demonstrate an imminent danger to public safety under § 13(2) VersG NRW. Acknowledging the importance of combating antisemitism, the ruling stressed that restrictions on assemblies must be based on concrete evidence and specific legal grounds, not on general suspicion.
GG Art. 5 Abs. 1 S. 1, Art. 8 Abs. 1; StGB § 86a, § 111, § 130, § 140; VereinsG § 9 Abs. 1, § 20 Abs. 1; VersG NRW § 13 Abs. 2 S. 1
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Münster
- Date of decision
- Nov 17, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Koblenz - 15.11.2023
- Case number
- 5 K 733/23.KO
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action against dismissal from the employment as a probationary civil servant (Klage gegen eine Entlassung aus dem Beamtenverhältnis auf Probe) - The plaintiff, a police officer on probation, was dismissed for sharing racist and antisemitic image files (“stickers”) in several WhatsApp groups between 2019 and 2021. The Administrative Court of Koblenz found that this conduct revealed a lack of moral integrity and confirmed the dismissal for failure to demonstrate the required character suitability for public service.
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Koblenz
- Date of decision
- Nov 15, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Tribunal administratif de Toulouse - 10.11.2023
- Case number
- n° 2306788
- Country
- France
- Case Description
On November 6, 2023, the Mayor of Toulouse issued an order banning the performance of a show titled "Sous bracelet : un spectacle hors du commun" by M. A B, scheduled for November 12, 2023,. The municipality justified this ban by citing: The applicant's history of criminal convictions for hate speech, antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and apology for terrorism. Furthermore, the specific geopolitical context following the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, and the potential for importing tensions from the Israel-Gaza conflict into Toulouse. The court ruled that the municipality failed to provide evidence of recent problematic remarks or specific scenes in the current show that would incite racial hatred or violate human dignity. The court noted that past convictions for different shows do not automatically establish a current and certain threat to public order for a new performance. The Tribunal suspended the execution of the Mayor's order, allowing the show to proceed.
l'article L. 521-2 du code de justice administrative; liberté de réunion et d'expression
- Name of Court
- Tribunal administratif de Toulouse
- Date of decision
- Nov 10, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M. - 09.11.2023
- Case number
- 5 L 3551/23.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of Assembly (Verfassammlungsfreiheit) - The court overturned a ban on a demonstration titled “Never Again Fascism – Keeping the Memory of the Reichspogromnacht Alive, Fighting Antisemitism!”. The court ruled the prohibition lacked concrete evidence of imminent danger and was based on vague suspicions of pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel messaging. It reaffirmed that restrictions on commemorations of the antisemitic 1938 Reichspogromnacht require specific, fact-based justification under constitutional protections of assembly.
Art. 8 Abs 1 GG, Ar.t 14 HV, § 14 Abs. 2 Satz 1 Alt. 1 HVersFG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M.
- Date of decision
- Nov 9, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Conseil d’État - 09.11.2023
- Case number
- n° 459704
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The association "Coordination contre le racisme et l’islamophobie" (CRI) and its president sought the annulment of a decree dated October 20, 2021, which ordered the association's dissolution. The government based the dissolution on two legal grounds: provocation to violent acts (Art. 212-1 1°)and provocation to discrimination, hatred, or violence against persons based on their religion or origin (Art. 212-1 6°). The applicants alleged procedural irregularities and a violation of the freedom of association. The Council of State ruled that vehement public criticism of the police and judiciary by an association representative in 2016, as well as certain social media messages, did not reach the legal threshold for inciting violent acts. On the other hand, the Council confirmed the provocation to Hatred and Discrimination. Between 2019 and 2021, the CRI published a high volume of posts claiming that public authorities, legislation, and national institutions were systematically hostile to Muslims and used antisemitism to target them. These publications elicited numerous hateful, antisemitic, and insulting comments from third parties on the association’s social media accounts. Given the grave and recurrent nature of these actions and the association's intent to spread these theories to a wide audience, the dissolution was deemed necessary and proportionate to the risk of public order disturbances.Given the grave and recurrent nature of these actions and the association's intent to spread these theories to a wide audience, the dissolution was deemed necessary and proportionate to the risk of public order disturbances.
Art. L. 212-1 und L. 212-1-1 des Code de la sécurité intérieure (CSI); Art. 10 European Convention on Human Rights
- Name of Court
- Conseil d’État
- Date of decision
- Nov 9, 2023
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Kassel - 09.11.2023
- Case number
- 2 B 1578-23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Ban of a demonstration (Verbot einer Demonstration) - The applicant wishes to hold a pro-Palestinian demonstration under the veiled pretext of “Never again fascism. Keep the memory of the Reichspogromnacht alive, Fight Antisemitism''. But in reality, the spread of criminal pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli ideas is certainly to be expected. The applicant has attracted attention in the past for statements that deny the existence of the State of Israel and calling the H. terrorist attacks, which resulted in 1,400 deaths in Israel, a "successful act of resistance" and stating there was "no Hamas terror".
HVersFG § 14 Abs. 2 S. 1; GG Art. 8 Abs. 1; HV Art. 14
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof Kassel
- Date of decision
- Nov 9, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Miller and Power v Turner - 08.11.2023
- Case number
- [2023] EWHC 2799 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Defamation - In Miller and Power v Turner, the plaintiffs brought a defamation action over tweets in which they were described as racist and antisemitic, while the defendant brought a counterclaim for alleged harassment through persistent online communication. The High Court dismissed both claims because the plaintiffs could not prove serious harm within the meaning of the Defamation Act 2013 and the conduct complained of did not reach the legal threshold for harassment against the defendant. The facts of the case were in the context of a public political discourse in which previous antisemitic hostility towards the defendant was also discussed.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Nov 8, 2023
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Daniel Miller & Anor v Luke Turner - 08.11.2023
- Case number
- QB-2019-003691
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The proceedings concerned claims for injunctive relief and damages arising from allegedly defamatory social media statements with antisemitism-related content, as well as a counterclaim alleging online harassment. The court held that, in respect of the antisemitism-related allegations and other serious accusations, the statutory requirement of “serious harm” under defamation law was not met, because a sufficient causal link between the publications and substantial reputational damage had not been established. The claim was therefore dismissed, with the court emphasising the importance of protecting freedom of expression even in the context of sharp and highly polarised debate. Defamation Act 2013, section 1; Defamation Act 2013, sections 2–4; Protection from Harassment Act 1997, sections 1, 2, 7; Human Rights Act 1998, section 12.
- Name of Court
- High Court Of Justice King's Bench Divison Media And Communications List
- Date of decision
- Nov 8, 2023
- Subjects
- Artistic Freedom
- Defamation
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgericht Magdeburg - 26.10.2023
- Case number
- 5 B 309/23 MD
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for restoration of the suspensiv effect ( Antrag auf wiederherrstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - the application is unsuccessfull. The applicant was a probationary police officer and is now dissmised from his police officer position. He was part of a chat group in which he posted an inappropriate photo of a disabled women and in which anti-Semetic ideas were shared, mere inaction (leaving others' reactions uncommented) does not constitute clear and persistent dissociation by the applicant.
§§ 23 III 1 Nr. 2, 34 I 3 BeamtStG; 80 III, V VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Magdeburg (5. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Oct 26, 2023
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Hessischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 21.10.2023
- Case number
- 2 B 1467/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Appeal against decision that the suspensive effect is restored (Beschwerde gegen einen Beschluss) - the appeal is unsuccesfull, there is no reason to assume that the planned demonstration will be connected to antisemitism.
GG Art. 8 Abs. 1; HV Art. 14; HVersFG § 14 Abs. 2 S. 1 Alt. 1
- Name of Court
- Hessischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof
- Date of decision
- Oct 21, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Freedom of Assembly
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt am Main - 20.10.2023
- Case number
- 5 L 3313/23.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for the restoration of the suspensive effect (Antrag auf Wiederherstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - a pro-palastine demonstration was previously banned due to accusations of antisemitism and anti-Jewish behaviour - the suspensive effect is restored
Art. 8 Abs. 1 GG; Art. 14 HV; § 14 Abs. 2 S. 1 Alt. 1 HVersFG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt am Main
- Date of decision
- Oct 20, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main - 19.10.2023
- Case number
- 16 U 193/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of speech, Injunctive Relief (Meinungsfreiheit, Unterlassungsanspruch) - in a press article an author is accused of Holocaust trivialization - complaint and appeal against the operator of the website on which the article appeared are dismissed.
§§ 823, 1004 BGB iVm Art. 2 I GG
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main (16. Zivilsenat)
- Date of decision
- Oct 19, 2023
- Subjects
- Artistic Freedom
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 19.10.2023
- Case number
- 10 CS 23.1862
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for the restoration of the suspensive effect (Antrag auf Wiederherstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - a pro-palastine demonstration was previously banned due to accusations of anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish behaviour, the suspensive effect is restored
Art. 5 Abs. 1 , Art. 8 Abs. 1 GG, § 80 Abs. 5 VwGO, Art. 15 Abs. 1 BayVersG
- Name of Court
- Bayrischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof (10. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Oct 19, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 19.10.2023
- Case number
- M 10 S 23.5071
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Interim legal protection (Einstweiliger Rechtsschutz) - the application is unsuccessful, the pro-Palestinian demonstration is banned due to threats to the public order because of the accusation that antisemitic statements will be made
Art. 5 Abs. 1, Art. 8 Abs. 1 GG, § 80 Abs. 5 VwGO, Art. 15 Abs. 1 BayVersG
- Name of Court
- Bayrischer Gerichtshof (10. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Oct 19, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Cour de cassation - 17.10.2023
- Case number
- n° 22-83.197
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Freedom of Speech, Incitement (Liberté d'expression, Incitation) - The members of the “Collectif 69” collective protested against a particular brand of medication in front of a pharmacy - They wore T-shirts with the slogan “Boycott Israel” and handed out flyers - The defendant was the manager of the website “europalestine.com,” which published a report on this action, for which she was accused of incitement - The defamation judgments were overturned by the Court of Cassation due to formal deficiencies
Art. 10 de la Convention de sauvegarde des droits de l'homme et des libertés fondamentales; Art. 24, al. 7, Art. 50 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse; Art. 591 et 593 du code de procédure pénale
- Name of Court
- Cour de cassation, chambre criminelle
- Date of decision
- Oct 17, 2023
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Kassel - 14.10.2023
- Case number
- 2 B 1423/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Decision of the lower court is overturned - applicant is not allowed to host pro-Palastine demonstration. A prohibition of an assembly is justified if there are sufficient indications that criminal offenses will occur at the planned assembly. Such indications can arise from: A nationwide extremely tense situation concerning pro-Palestinian assemblies, the applicant's denial of Hamas as a terrorist organization and of Israel's right to exist and previous incidents during similar demonstrations.
"GG Art 100 Abs 1, GG Art 2 Abs 1, GG Art 8, HV Art 133 Abs 1, HV Art 14, HVersFG § 14 Abs 2 "
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof Kassel (2. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Oct 14, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a. M. - 13.10.2023
- Case number
- 5 L 3216/23.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
application for the restoration of the suspensive effedt (Antrag zur Wiederherstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - the applicant is succesfull, the demonstration ,,A free Palestine'' can take place. Prohibiting an assembly is a measure of ultima ratio. The authority was unable to sufficiently justify an immediate threat to public safety. The appliant assured to exclude antisemetic participants, ensure order with stewards, and not allow any criminal offenses.
"GG Art. 8 Abs. 2, Art. 31, Art. 142, HVersFG § 14 "
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a. M. (5. Ka,mmer)
- Date of decision
- Oct 13, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Cour d'appel de Paris, Pôle 2 - Chambre 7 - 12.10.2023
- Case number
- n° 22/03805
- Country
- France
- Case Description
On January 2, 2017, the accused, M. K., published a post on Twitter (now X) referring to the IRIS institute as an organization "directed by the pro-Qatar antisemite P. B.". P. B., the founder and director of IRIS and a well-known geopolitical expert, along with the institute itself, filed a complaint for public insult. In the first instance, the court acquitted the accused, ruling that her remarks were protected by freedom of expression given P. B.'s status as a public figure and his involvement in public controversies. The court of appeals described the Characterization of the Insult: The court defined "antisemitism" as a systematic doctrine of hostility toward the Jewish community. Without specific factual justification within the tweet, labeling someone an "antisemite" is considered outrageous as it attacks honor and sensitivity. Because the tweet explicitly linked the accusation to the leadership of the institute, the insult also reflected poorly on IRIS.
L'alinéa 2 de l'article 29 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881; paragraphe 2 de l'article 10 de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme.
- Name of Court
- Cour d'appel de Paris
- Date of decision
- Oct 12, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Edinburgh Sheriff Court – 12.10.2023
- Case number
- unreported
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Holocaust denial – a person is accused of denying the holocaust in France for which the French authorities seek an extradition - Sheriff court considers whether the material in question constitutes a breach of the peace in Scotland or was offensive
127(1) of the Communications Act 2003
- Name of Court
- Edinburgh Sheriff Court
- Date of decision
- Oct 12, 2023
- Subjects
- Asylum and other issues of residence
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Conseil d'État - 11.10.2023
- Case number
- n° 472466; n° 472468
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Freedom of Religion (Liberté de religion) - In June 2018, the Beaucaire City Council decided to end the provision of alternative menus in school cafeterias - LDH and LICRA filed a lawsuit against this decision - The lower courts declared the city's decision to be unlawful - The Conseil d'État rejected the city's request for review - Two complaints led to one decision here
Art. L. 822-1 du code de justice administrative; Loi du 9 décembre 1905; Code de l'éducation; Convention internationale relative aux droits de l'enfant
- Name of Court
- Conseil d'État (3ème chambre)
- Date of decision
- Oct 11, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Religion
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 11.10.2023
- Case number
- VG 1 L 428/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
application for the restoration of the suspensive effect (Antrag zur Wiederherstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - the application is unsuccessfull, the applicant planned a pro palastine demonstration but this is banned due to antisemetic and anti-Israeli behavior at former demonstrations (for example: ,,Death to the Jews'', ,,Bombing Tel Aviv'').
Art. 8 I GG, § 80 V VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin
- Date of decision
- Oct 11, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 05.10.2023
- Case number
- RiZ (R) 1/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Compulsory retirement of a judge (Obligatorische Versetzung eines Richters in den Ruhestand) - a judge who is also an AfD member makes statements during and before his time as a member of the Bundestag no longer compatible with the principles of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) - his employer demands his retirement.
Art. 46 I 1, Art. 97 II GG; § 31 DRiG; § 5 I, § 8 I AbgG
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof
- Date of decision
- Oct 5, 2023
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Freedom of Speech
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Criminal Law
Cour d’appel de Paris - 05.10.2023
- Case number
- n° 22/05502
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The case involved a video posted online on October 6, 2020, titled "Episode 90," in which the defendant Dieudonné M'bala M'bala addressed Mme Rachel Khan. The victim, a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors who identifies with the Jewish community, had previously written an article in the Huffington Post criticizing antisemitic lyrics in rap music and questioning the rise of a "Dieudonné 2.0". In the video, the defendant made several controversial remarks, including references to "Jewish censorship" and "Jewish scams". The specific statement prosecuted as a public insult was: "tu resteras une pauvre négresse à la fin de l'histoire" ("you will remain a poor negress at the end of the story"). The lower court (Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris) had initially convicted the defendant on September 15, 2022, sentencing him to 100 day-fines of 100 euros each. The Paris Court of Appeal quashed the lower court's judgment, acquitted the defendant, arguing that therefore appears that, in the context in which they were made, the remarks in question cannot be considered to constitute offensive language, contemptuous terms, or invective.
However, the decision has since been overturned by the Cour de Cassation, and in January 2026, the Cour d'appel de Paris ruled that the defendant's statements did indeed constitute an insult.
l'article 10 de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme
- Name of Court
- Cour d’appel de Paris
- Date of decision
- Oct 5, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Sąd Okręgowy Warszawa-Praga w Warszawie - 28.09.2023
- Case number
- VI Ka 95/23
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Glorification of the Holocaust/freedom of speech (Gloryfikacja Holokaustu/wolność słowa ) – Conviction for spreading antisemitic views and glorifying fascism
Art. 4, Art. 7, Art. 17 § 1 pkt 2, Art. 17 § 1 pkt 3, Art. 49 § 1, Art. 170 § 1(a), Art. 170 § 3, Art. 171 § 1, Art. 174, Art. 410, Art. 424 § 1 pkt 1, Art. 437 § 2, Art. 438 pkt 1, Art. 438 pkt 1(a), Art. 438 pkt 2, Art. 438 pkt 3, Art. 438 pkt 4, Art. 439, Art. 454 § 1 Kodeks postępowania karnego; Art. 1 § 2, Art. 4 § 1, Art. 12, Art. 26 § 1, Art. 26 § 2, Art. 37(a), Art. 85 § 1, Art. 86 § 1, Art. 115 § 1, Art. 115 § 2, Art. 241, Art. 241 § 1, Art. 256 § 1, Art. 257 Kodeks karny; Art. 13 ust. 1 Prawo prasowe; Art. 7 Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej; Art. 8 ust. 1Konwencja o ochronie praw człowieka i podstawowych wolności
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy Warszawa-Praga w Warszawie - VI Wydział Karny Odwoławczy
- Date of decision
- Sep 28, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Constitutional Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Minden - 20.09.2023
- Case number
- 8 L 682/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for the restoration of the suspensive affect (Antrag zur Wiederherstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - the application is unsuccessfull, the applicant is Part of the NPD, has a car licence plate, that hat a connection to nationalsocialism and sympasises with the anti-Sematic ideology, his gun licence has been revoced.
§ 80 II, III, V VwGO, §§ 45 V, 4 I Nr. 2 WaffG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Minden (8. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Sep 20, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Verwaltungsgericht München - 18.09.2023
- Case number
- M 30 X 23.4359
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Search and seizure order under association law (Vereinsrechtliche Durchsuchungs- und Beschlagnahmeanordnung) - the association is antisemitic and does not share the values of a democratic and liberal basic order, it was previously banned.
Art. 13 Abs. 2, 103 Abs. 1 GG; §§ 10, 3 ff. VereinsG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht München (30. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Sep 18, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 14.09.2023
- Case number
- 10 CE 23.796
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Urgent application - Mainly unsuccessful urgent application by the Bavarian AfD against the observation of the entire party by the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution and its public announcement; the party is considered to be antisemitic, islamophobic and right-wing.
GG Art. 21 Abs. 1, Art. 73 Abs. 1 Nr. 10 lit. b, Art 87 Abs. 1 S. 2; BVerfSchG § 3 Abs. 1 Nr. 1, § 4 Abs. 1 S. 1 lit. a, Abs. 2; BayVSG Art. 5 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 1, Nr. 2, S. 2, Art. 3 S. 1, Art. 4 Abs. 1 S. 1.
- Name of Court
- Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof
- Date of decision
- Sep 14, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Other
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Munich 14.09.2023
- Case number
- 10 CE 23.796
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Urgent application (Eilantrag) – mainly unsuccessful urgent application by the Bavarian AfD against the observation of the entire party by the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution and its public announcement. The court largely upheld the monitoring, citing activities, internal factions (“Der Flügel,” “Junge Alternative”), and statements deemed hostile to democracy or human dignity; the party is considered to be anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, and right-wing, though the court ordered the removal of one “extremist” label from a press release.
- Name of Court
- VGH München
- Date of decision
- Sep 14, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Discrimination
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Hannover - 14.09.2023
- Case number
- 14 A 5022/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The defendant is removed from his position as a civil servant (Entlassung eines Beamten) - the defendant was part of a chatgroup in which he shared and supported antisemetic and right wing ideas and in which he trivialized the Holocaust. He was dismissed from service because the relationship of trust between the civil servant and his employer had been irrevocably destroyed.
"BBG § 77 Abs. 1 S. 1 BDG § 20 Abs. 1 S. 1"
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Hannover (14. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Sep 14, 2023
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Insult of State Officials
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Najwyższy - 14.09.2023
- Case number
- I KK 136/23
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Cassation review of criminal proceedings concerning alleged antisemitic and xenophobic hate speech on social media. The accused was acquitted by lower courts, which found the statements did not meet the threshold of criminal insult or incitement and lacked intent. The Supreme Court quashed those judgments, holding that liability for public insult does not require hate motivation but intentional use of degrading expressions in a public context. It emphasised that meaning must be assessed in its social context and that courts must independently determine whether statements amount to insult or incitement to hatred.
Art. 256 § 1, Art. 257 Criminal Code
Art. 7, Art. 410, Art. 433 § 2, Art. 457 § 3 Code of Criminal Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Najwyższy - Izba Karna
- Date of decision
- Sep 14, 2023
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Koblenz - 12.09.2023
- Case number
- 2 K 354/23.KO
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action for annulment of dismissal from probationary civil service (Anfechtungsklage gegen eine Entlassung aus dem Beamtenverhältnis auf Widerruf) - Dismissal of a police cadet from probationary civil service for sharing a Nazi-themed, Holocaust-mocking image in a WhatsApp group, thereby violating the duty of loyalty to the free democratic constitutional order. The court emphasized that such conduct – even if isolated or occurring before entering service – justifies dismissal.
StGB §§ 86a, 130; BBG §§ 37 Abs. 1, Abs. 2 S. 1, 60 Abs. 1 S. 3; BPolBG § 2; GG Art. 12 Abs. 1 S. 1
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Koblenz
- Date of decision
- Sep 12, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof München - 14.09.2023
- Case number
- 10 CE 23.796
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Urgent application (Eilantrag) – mainly unsuccessful urgent application by the Bavarian AfD against the observation of the entire party by the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution and its public announcement. The court largely upheld the monitoring, citing activities, internal factions (“Der Flügel,” “Junge Alternative”), and statements deemed hostile to democracy or human dignity; the party is considered to be antisemitic, islamophobic, and right-wing, though the court ordered the removal of one “extremist” label from a press release.
GG Art. 21 Abs. 1, Art. 73 Abs. 1 Nr. 10 lit. b, Art 87 Abs. 1 S. 2; BVerfSchG § 3 Abs. 1 Nr. 1, § 4 Abs. 1 S. 1 lit. a, Abs. 2; BayVSG Art. 5 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 1, Nr. 2, S. 2, Art. 3 S. 1, Art. 4 Abs. 1 S. 1
- Name of Court
- Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof München
- Date of decision
- Sep 12, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Mannheim -21.10.2023
- Case number
- 3 S 1669/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Appeal against the decision of the administrative court (Beschwerde gegen eine Beschluss des Verwaltungsgerichts) - the demonstration was banned due to anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli statements - the administrative court considers this to be unlawful and rules that only conditions may be imposed, a ban would go too far.
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof Mannheim
- Date of decision
- Sep 10, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related incident
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt am Main - 07.09.2023
- Case number
- 5 L 2671/23.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Order to secure evidence – the court issued a search and seizure warrant against members of the banned association Die Artgemeinschaft, which espouses right-wing extremist, racist, and antisemitic ideologies. The order authorises searches to secure evidence and assets, as well as to identify additional members; political motives for the ban are irrelevant to this justification.
GG Art. 4 Abs. 1, Art. 9 Abs. 2, Art. 13 Abs. 2; VereinsG § 3, § 4 Abs. 2
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M.
- Date of decision
- Sep 7, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Gelsenkirchen - 05.09.2023
- Case number
- 4 L 1374/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for restoration of suspensive effect (Antrag zur Wiederherstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - A lecturer’s contract at the Police University NRW was revoked after she criticised the police, citing racism, antisemitism, and right-wing extremism among some officers. The court found the revocation unlawful due to a lack of proper overall assessment and disproportionate interference with free speech.
§ 49 Abs. 2 Satz 1 Nr. 3 VwVfG NRW
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Gelsenkirchen
- Date of decision
- Sep 5, 2023
- Subjects
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
R v Podsiad Sharp – 31.08.2023
- Case number
- unreported
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Holocaust denial (Holocaustleugnung) – Former prison officer is on trial for being in possession of a digital copy of a digital publication that promotes the murder of non-whites and Jews – 8 years imprisonment
s 58 Terrorism Act 2000
- Name of Court
- Crown Court at Sheffield
- Date of decision
- Aug 31, 2023
- Subjects
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf - 28.08.2023
- Case number
- 35 K 3126/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Disciplinary action (Disziplinarklage) – dismissal from civil servant status due to involvement in a WhatsApp chat group where antisemitic, inciting, xenophobic, racist, and misanthropic content glorifying or trivializing National Socialism was shared, sometimes including the use of anti-constitutional symbols.
§ 47 I BeamtStG; §§ 5 I Nr. 5, 10 LDG NRW
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf
- Date of decision
- Aug 28, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 23.08.2023
- Case number
- 24 K 7/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Compulsory action (Verpflichtungsklage) – A Palestinian refugee challenged the cancellation of his subsidiary protection due to accusations of antisemitism. Despite low-level support for terrorist groups like PFLP and HAMAS, the court found no compelling threat to national security or public order and overturned the decision.
§§ 5 IV, 53 I, 53 IIIa, 54 I Nr.2; RL 2011/95/EU Art. 24 II
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin
- Date of decision
- Aug 23, 2023
- Subjects
- Asylum and other issues of residence
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bundesverwaltungsgericht - 21.08.2023
- Case number
- 6 A 3.21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Association banned (Vereinsverbot) - association is radically Islamist and anti-Israeli.
EMRK Art. 11; GRCh Art. 12, 52 III; RL (EU) 2017/541 Art. 1, 18 Buchst. d; GG Art. 4 I, 9 I, II; VereinsG §§ 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 17 Nrn. 1 und 3; GmbHG § 5a; VwGO §§ 50 I Nr. 2, 86 I, 108 I 1,113 I 1, 121, 154 I, 173 S. 1; ZPO § 256 II; VwVfG § 28 II Nr. 1; AO § 51 III 2
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt am Main
- Date of decision
- Aug 21, 2023
- Subjects
- Israel-related incident
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Landgericht München II - 17.08.2023
- Case number
- 6 Ns 510 Js 5/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of speech, Incitement (Meinungsfreiheit, Volksverhetzung) - a former AfD Member of Parliament uploaded a video on Facebook in which he compares the measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic with the 1938 pogroms - the appeal is rejected.
StGB § 130 Abs. 3, GG Art. 5 Abs. 1
- Name of Court
- Landgericht München II
- Date of decision
- Aug 17, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht München - 16.08.2023
- Case number
- M 13L DA 23.3850
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Search and seizure order in disciplinary proceedings (Durchsuchungs- und Beschlagnahmeanordnung im Disziplinarverfahren) – due to suspected affiliation with the Ülkücü movement, a group known for Turkish right-wing extremism, ultranationalism, racism, antisemitism, and the glorification of violence.
BayDG Art. 19, Art. 29, Art. 47 Abs. 1; BeamtStG § 34, § 47; StPO § 94, 102, § 110
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht München
- Date of decision
- Aug 16, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Magdeburg - 14.08.2023
- Case number
- 15 B 29/23 MD
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal of a police officer for Turkish nationalist right-wing extremist views (Dienstenthebung eines Polizeibeamten wegen türkisch-nationalistischer rechtsextremer Gesinnung) - court upheld the provisional suspension of a probationary police officer for displaying symbols of the far-right "Grey Wolves" movement, which espouses, among other things, antisemitic ideology. The conduct violated his duty of loyalty and damaged the reputation of the police force.
BeamtStG § 23 Abs. 3 S. 1 Nrn. 1 u. 2, § 33 Abs. 1 S. 2, S. 3, § 34 Abs. 1 S. 3, § 47 Abs. 1 S. 2; DG LSA § 38 Abs. 1 S. 1, S. 2; LBG LSA § 34 Abs. 4 S. 1
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Magdeburg
- Date of decision
- Aug 14, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
Bundesgerichtshof - 08.08.2023
- Case number
- 3 StR 499/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Preparation of a serious act of violence endangering the state, embezzlement, fraud, violations of the Weapons and Explosives Act (Vorbereitung einer schweren staatsgefährdenden Gewalttat, Unterschlagung, Betrug, Verstöße gegen das Waffen- und Sprengstoffgesetz) - For years, the defendant had held antisemitic, racist and antidemocratic views - Based on conspiracy theories, he was convinced that "Zionism" was waging a systematic race war in which millions of migrants were being brought to Germany. This would ultimately lead to the "extinction of the Germany race" - He had planned terrorist attacks on high ranking politicians and public figures with a pro-refugee attitude - the appeal was rejected
§§ 89a, 263, 246 StGB
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof
- Date of decision
- Aug 8, 2023
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Conspiracy Theories
- Israel-related Incidents
- Pogroms and Violent Attacks on Persons
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
BayObLG - 02.08.2023
- Case number
- 203 StRR 287/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The Bavarian Higher Regional Court has upheld the decision of the Fürth Local Court. Belittling within the meaning of Section 130 III of the German Criminal Code (StGB) may also be deemed to have occurred if a defendant equates his own fate with the persecution and extermination of Jews during the Nazi era.
§ 130 Abs. 3 StGB
- Name of Court
- Bayerisches Oberstes Landesgericht
- Date of decision
- Aug 2, 2023
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
OVG Berlin-Brandenburg - 27.07.2023
- Case number
- 4 S 11/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal of a civil servant (Entlassung eines Beamten) – A police candidate was dismissed due to doubts about his loyalty to the constitution after liking posts that trivialised the Holocaust and promoted far-right content.
BeamtStG § 33; GG Art. 5 Abs. 1, 33 Abs. 5
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Berlin-Brandenburg
- Date of decision
- Jul 27, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf - 25.07.2023
- Case number
- 2 K 2957/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Removal from public service (Entlassung aus dem öffentlichen Dienst) - A police cadet was dismissed for sharing Holocaust-trivializing images at 17. The court upheld the dismissal, citing doubts about his loyalty to the constitution and emphasizing that police must uphold democratic values even privately. His behavior showed serious character flaws and lack of remorse, making him unfit for service.
VwGO § 113 Abs. 1 S. 1; BeamtStG § 23 Abs. 4; GG Art. 12 Abs. 1 S. 1
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf
- Date of decision
- Jul 25, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Köln - 24.07.2023
- Case number
- 20 L 835/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Unreliability under firearms law (Waffenrechtliche Unzuverlässigkeit) – The court upheld the revocation of the applicant’s firearm permits and the imposition of a weapons ban, citing his membership in the "Ülkücü" movement ("Grey Wolves"). The group is regarded as extremely nationalist, anti-democratic, and antisemitic. According to the court, membership alone is sufficient to establish unreliability under weapons law; no proof of individual extremist conduct is required.
§ 80 V VwGO; §§ 45 Abs. 2 Satz 1, 4 Abs. 1 Nr. 2, 5 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 WaffG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Köln
- Date of decision
- Jul 24, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 21.07.2023
- Case number
- V ZR112/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Listings of stolen art in public database (Eintragung von gestohlener Kunst in öffentlicher Datenbank) - claimant seeks injunctive relief and the deleting of a listed art piece from the database - Concerns question whether listing entails a claim of ownership (Eigentumsanmaßung).
§§ 1004 Abs.1, 903 S 1 BGB; Washington Declaration
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof (V. Zivilsenat)
- Date of decision
- Jul 21, 2023
- Subjects
- Stolen Art
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Okręgowy w Białymstoku - 04.07.2023
- Case number
- III K 174/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Incitement, Racist and National Socialist Symbols (Podżeganie, symbole rasistowskie i narodowosocjalistyczne) - Members of a group with neo-Nazi and racist ideology spread National Socialist propaganda with swastikas and Hitler salutes - Use of the slogan “I apologize not for Jedwabne”
Art. 256 § 1, Art. 258 § 1, Art. 65 § 1, Art. 280 § 1, Art. 158 § 1, Art. 4 § 1 Kodeks karny
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy w Białymstoku
- Date of decision
- Jul 4, 2023
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Landesarbeitsgericht Berlin-Brandenburg - 28.06.2023
- Case number
- 23 Sa 1107/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Extraordinary dismissal of a journalist (außerordentliche Kündigung) - a journalist was dismissed from a public broadcasting service due to allegations of antisemitism - the court affirms that the journalist must be employed until the end of her contract - concerns also the involvement of the labour representative (Personalrat)
§ 9 Abs. 1 S. 2 KSchG; § 626 Abs. 1 BGB
- Name of Court
- Landesarbeitsgericht Berlin-Brandenburg (23. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Jun 28, 2023
- Subjects
- Israel-related incident
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 28.06.2023
- Case number
- StR 424/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Incitement to hatred and formation of a criminal organization (Volksverhetzung, Gründung und Mitgliedschaft in krimineller Vereinigung) - on appeal the court finds the defendants guilty of several counts - the defendants were part of the Goyim movement and had distributed antisemitic content
§§ 129, 130, 25 Abs. 2 StGB
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof (3. Strafsenat)
- Date of decision
- Jun 28, 2023
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 22.06.2023
- Case number
- 8 K 97.19 V
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action for declaratory judgment (Fortsetzungsfeststellungsklage) - The plaintiff seeks a declaration that the revocation of her Schengen visa by the defendant was unlawful; her visa was revoked because she was part of the BDS movement, which makes antisemitic and anti-Israeli statements, whereby it could be assumed that the plaintiff is a threat to the security of germany - the court considers this decision to be unlawful, the revocation of the visa goes too far.
VwGO § 113 Abs. 1 S. 4; Schengener Grenzkodex Art. 6 Abs. 1 Buchst. e; VwVfG § 28 Abs. 1, Abs. 2, § 45 Abs. 1 Nr. 3, § 46; GG Art. 5 Abs. 1 S. 1
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin
- Date of decision
- Jun 22, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Berlin-Brandenburg - 16.06.2023
- Case number
- OVG 3 B 44/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action against the decision of the German Bundestag on BDS (Klage gegen Beschluss des Deutschen Bundestages zu BDS) - The plaintiffs are supporters of the so-called "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" campaign - in 2019 the German Bundestag had decided to adopt the non-legally binding motion to counter the BDS movement - the plaintiffs allege interference with a number of basic rights - the court determines that the question cannot be addressed in as part of the administrative jurisdiction, it being a question of constitutional law
§ 40 Abs 1 S 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Berlin-Brandenburg
- Date of decision
- Jun 16, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Sąd Rejonowy Szczecin-Centrum w Szczecinie - 16.06.2023
- Case number
- IX P 154/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns dismissal without notice of a civil service employee for social media activity containing xenophobic and antisemitic statements; the court dismissed his claim, holding that publishing such content, including explicit antisemitic remarks about Jews, constituted a serious breach of fundamental duties and justified termination, emphasising that public officials are subject to heightened standards, that such speech is not protected by freedom of expression, and that the dismissal was a lawful and proportionate response rather than discrimination.
Art. 52 §1, Art. 56 §1, Art. 183d Polish Labour Code
Art. 76 Civil Service Act
Art. 54 Constitution of the Republic of Poland
- Name of Court
- Sąd Rejonowy Szczecin-Centrum w Szczecinie IX Wydział Pracy i Ubezpieczeń Społecznych
- Date of decision
- Jun 16, 2023
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 13.06.2023
- Case number
- StB 29/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Membership in a criminal organization (Mitgliedschaft in einer kriminellen Vereinigung) - Appeal against a judgement - the appeal is dismissed and was directed against preliminary proceedings on suspicion of forming a criminal organization that planned i.a. attacks on synagogues and Jewish institutions
§ 120 Abs. 2 S. 1 GVG; §§ 129 Abs. 1, Abs. 2, 303, 304 StGB; §§ 102, 105 StPO
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof (3. Strafsenat)
- Date of decision
- Jun 13, 2023
- Subjects
- Attack on Jewish Places of Worship
- Discrimination
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Berlin-Brandenburg - 25.05.2023
- Case number
- 80 D 1/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Appeal (Berufung) - A Berlin police officer faced disciplinary action for multiple service violations, including assaulting a journalist, making xenophobic and anti-Zionist remarks, and wearing a provocative T-shirt. While the appeal sought his dismissal, the court upheld only a salary reduction – the appeal was unsuccessful.
GG Art. 5 Abs. 1; EMRK Art. 6 Abs. 1 Satz 1; BeamtStG §§ 33 Abs. 2, 34 Abs. 1 Satz 3, 35 Abs. 1 Satz 2, 47 Abs. 1 Satz 1; LBG BE § 101 Satz 2; DiszG BE §§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 und 5, 8, 13 Abs. 1, 14 Abs. 1 Nr. 2, 41; BDG §§ 64 Abs. 1 Satz 2, 65 Abs. 4; StGB § 240 Abs. 1
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Berlin-Brandenburg
- Date of decision
- May 25, 2023
- Subjects
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Amtsgericht Plön - 23.05.2023
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Incitement (Volksverhetzung) - Trial against a doctor who had i.a. equated the Covid-19-vaccine with the Holocaust and Nazi politics with Israeli politics - Question of whether his remark were directed to the Israeli government or Jews as a group
- Name of Court
- Amtsgericht Plön
- Date of decision
- May 23, 2023
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Israel-related incident
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Cour de cassation - 19.12.2023
- Case number
- 22-87.200
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Incitement/Boycott (Provocation à la discrimination/ Boycott) – The Court of Appeal justified its decision by stating that the defendant was guilty of inciting to racial hatred and violence – In a speech given by the defendant in a mosque, he accused the Israeli people of moral corruption, citing historical grievances such as the killing of prophets, the falsification of the Torah, and idol worship (the golden calf). He also alleged that Israelis exerted disproportionate control over global political and economic channels.
Art. 24 Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse.
- Name of Court
- Cour de cassation
- Date of decision
- May 19, 2023
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Cour de cassation - 17.11.2023
- Case number
- 22-83.197
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Incitement/Boycott (Provocation à la discrimination/ Boycott) – The Court of Appeal justified its decision when it acquitted the publication director of a website of public provocation to discriminate against a company on the grounds that it belonged to the Israeli nation – The statements in question, which reported on militant action in favour of the Palestinian cause, called for a boycott of the company's products – But it did not incited any person to discriminate against the aforementioned company, and did not contain any incitement to discrimination, and did not target this company because of its membership of the Israeli nation but because of its alleged financial support for the political choices made by that country's leaders against the Palestinians.
Art. 24 Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse.
- Name of Court
- Cour de cassation
- Date of decision
- May 17, 2023
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 16.05.2023
- Case number
- StB 20/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Appeal against search warrant (Beschwerde gegen Untersuchungsbeschluss) - the appeal is dismissed - the criminal organization had planned i.a. attacks on synagogues
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof (3. Strafsenat)
- Date of decision
- May 16, 2023
- Subjects
- Attack on Jewish Places of Worship
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M. - 12.05.2023
- Case number
- 5 L 1457/23 F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for restoration of suspensive effect (Antrag auf Widerherrstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - Demonstration on “Nakba Day.” The plaintiff challenged a restriction prohibiting calls for the destruction of Israel. The court lifted the restriction due to a lack of concrete evidence of an immediate threat to public safety.
§ 14 Abs. 1 HVersFG; Art. 14 HV; § 80 Abs. 5 Satz 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M.
- Date of decision
- May 12, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M. - 12.05.2023
- Case number
- 5 L 1457/23 F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for restoration of suspensive effect (Antrag auf Widerherrstellung der aufschiebenden Wirkung) - The court reviewed a government-imposed restriction that prohibited calls for the destruction of Israel at a “Nakba Day” demonstration. The authorities had justified the measure based on vague assumptions about the situation in the Middle East, previous incidents in Berlin, and slogans from unrelated past protests. The court found these reasons lacked sufficiently concrete evidence of an imminent threat specific to the planned event. It lifted the restriction.
§ 14 Abs. 1 HVersFG; Art. 14 HV; § 80 Abs. 5 Satz 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M.
- Date of decision
- May 12, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Israel-related incident
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main - 08.05.2023
- Case number
- 5-2 StE 4/22 - 5a - 1/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Founding of a terrorist organization (Gründung einer terroristischen Vereinigung), a subgroup of the so called Atomwaffen Division - the group propagates "white supremacy" and is calling for the murder and expulsion of migrants, Black persons and Jews - conviction under juvenile criminal law
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main (5. Strafsenat, Staatsschutzsenat)
- Date of decision
- May 8, 2023
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- International Crimes
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M. - 04.05.2023
- Case number
- 7 K 851/20.F
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Declaratory Action (Feststellungsklage) - judgment concerning a press release by the mayor, who called for the cancellation of an event due to alleged ties to the BDS movement and labeled it "antisemitic." The court ruled the statement unlawful, finding it violated the principle of objectivity and restricted the plaintiff’s freedom of expression. At the same time, the court affirmed that labeling the BDS campaign as "antisemitic" is not inherently incorrect.
Art. 5 Abs. 1, Art. 28 Abs. 2 S. 1 GG; § 113 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Frankfurt a.M.
- Date of decision
- May 4, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie - 26.04.2023
- Case number
- VII SA/Wa 325/23
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a supervisory decision annulling the appointment of a director of a municipal cultural institution, challenged by the City of Warsaw; the administrative court annulled the supervisory act, holding that public authorities cannot interfere with cultural institutions based on ideological disagreement with artistic programmes, including those addressing minority issues or discrimination, and emphasised that such interference threatens pluralism and the ability to address topics like antisemitism, while supervisory review must be limited strictly to legality and not value based judgments.
Art. 85, Art. 91 Polish Act on Municipal Self-Government
Art. 16 Act on Organising and Conducting Cultural Activity
Art. 2, Art. 7, Art. 32, Art. 60, Art. 73, Art. 171 Constitution of the Republic of Poland
Art. 8 European Charter of Local Self-Government
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie
- Date of decision
- Apr 26, 2023
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie - 19.04.2023
- Case number
- VII SA/Wa 10/23
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns whether certain land should be recognised as part of a former Jewish cemetery and protected as cultural heritage; the court upheld the refusal, finding no sufficient evidence that the land functioned as a cemetery or contained confirmed Jewish burial sites, holding that unproven claims of wartime burials were insufficient, and emphasising that protection of Jewish heritage requires clear, verified historical or material evidence.
Art. 3, Art. 6, Art. 7, Art. 9, Art. 89, Art. 93 Act on the Protection of Monuments
Art. 7, Art. 77 § 1, Art. 80, Art. 127 § 2, Art. 138 § 1 Code of Administrative Procedure
Art. 134 § 1, Art. 145 § 1, Art. 151 Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie
- Date of decision
- Apr 19, 2023
- Subjects
- Cemetery Desecration
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Harris v Harris - 17.04.2023
- Case number
- [2000] EWHC 231 (Fam)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Children's contact to father after divorce - father had compared family court's actions in matters of father/child relationships as comparable to the Nazi Death Camps
Children Act 1989, Section 39 Children and Young Persons Act 1933, Section 12(4) of the Human Rights Act 1998, Arts. 8, 10 ECHR
- Name of Court
- High Court of Justice, Family Division
- Date of decision
- Apr 17, 2023
- Subjects
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie - 7.04.2023
- Case number
- XXV C 532/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns revocation of a donation due to gross ingratitude, where the court found that the defendant’s violent and abusive conduct toward the claimants justified returning the property; in the course of the dispute, allegations of antisemitism and religious discrimination were raised by the defendant, but the court found no evidence supporting them and treated such claims as a rhetorical tool within the conflict rather than a substantiated issue of antisemitism.
Art. 64, Art. 898 §1, Art. 898 §2 Civil Code
Art. 1047 §1 Code of Civil Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie XXV Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Apr 7, 2023
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Okręgowy we Wrocławiu - 30.03.2023
- Case number
- IV Ka 1686/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Insult and incitement to hatred (Znieważenie i podżeganie do nienawiści) - conviction for public speech in which derogatory remarks were made about Jews
Art. 2 § 2, Art. 4, Art. 5 § 2, Art. 7, Art. 167, Art. 170 § 1 pt 2, Art. 170 § 1 pt 3, Art. 193 § 1, Art. 410, Art. 424, Art. 436, Art. 437 § 2, Art. 438 pt 1, Art. 438 pt 1(a), Art. 438 pkt 2, Art. 438 pkt 3, Art. 438 pkt 4, Art. 439, Art. 442 § 2, Art. 454 § 1 Kodeks postępowania karnego; Art. 9 § 1, Art. 11 § 2, Art. 256 § 1, Art. 257 Kodeks karny
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy we Wrocławiu Wydział IV Karny Odwoławczy
- Date of decision
- Mar 30, 2023
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 22.03.2023
- Case number
- 24 K 256.19
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action for a declaratory judgment regarding the unlawfulness of a ban on participating in a political event (Klage auf Feststellung der Rechtswidrigkeit eines Verbots der Teilnahme an einer Veranstaltung) – The plaintiff, a Jordanian citizen of Palestinian descent, had been imprisoned in Israel for involvement in a terrorist attack and was therefore not to be granted a residence permit in Germany when she was invited to an event marking International Women’s Day. The media accused her of antisemitism – the ban was ultimately deemed unlawful.
Art. 5 Abs. 1 GG; § 28 Abs. 2 Nr. 1 VwVfG; § 47 Abs. 1 AufenthG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin
- Date of decision
- Mar 22, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Amtsgericht Fürth - 22.02.2023
- Case number
- 421 Cs 466 Js 58626/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The defendant, a retiree who had been in a long-standing legal dispute (over 36 years) regarding the recognition of her German citizenship, sent an email to several press offices, the Federal Constitutional Court, and the Federal Ministry of Justice. In this email, she equated her personal legal struggle and her treatment by German officials with the systematic persecution of German Jews under the Nazi regime. The court held that by equating her personal fate with the fate of Jews destined for extermination, the defendant qualitatively and quantitatively devalued the Holocaust.
§ 130 Abs.3 StGB; § 6 Abs. 1 des Völkerstrafgesetzbuches
- Name of Court
- Amtsgericht Fürth
- Date of decision
- Mar 22, 2023
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie - 17.03.2023
- Case number
- VII SA/Wa 2673/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns permission for archaeological research linked to a municipal investment near a former Jewish cemetery; the administrative court dismissed the complaint, holding that the permit was lawfully issued with proper safeguards and supervision, that the works concerned a plot not included in the officially protected Jewish cemetery, and therefore did not require consultation with Jewish religious authorities, while also confirming that the authorities conducted the proceedings correctly and that the decision complied with both procedural and substantive law.
Art. 36(1)(5), Art. 89(1), Art. 93(1) Act on the Protection of Monuments and the Care of Monuments
Art. 7, Art. 8, Art. 77(1), Art. 80, Art. 138 § 1(1) Code of Administrative Procedure
Art. 145 § 1, Art. 151 Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie
- Date of decision
- Mar 17, 2023
- Subjects
- Attack on Jewish Places of Worship
- Cemetery Desecration
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Gdańsku - 3.02.2023
- Case number
- III SA/Gd 594/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a request to change a surname to one associated with Jewish heritage, justified by claimed Jewish ancestry and identity; the court set aside the approving decision due to serious procedural deficiencies, holding that the authority relied solely on the applicant’s declarations without verifying his Jewish origin or entitlement to the name, and emphasised that claims relating to Jewish identity and heritage must be assessed objectively and based on evidence, particularly where the surname has cultural or historical significance requiring a genuine familial link.
Art. 2(1), Art. 3(1)–(2), Art. 4(1), Art. 5, Art. 10(1), Art. 11a Act on Change of Name and Surname
Art. 7, Art. 77(1), Art. 80, Art. 104, Art. 107 § 3–4 Code of Administrative Procedure
Art. 1 § 1–2 Law on the System of Administrative Courts
Art. 52 § 1, Art. 53 § 3, Art. 106 § 3, Art. 134 § 1, Art. 145 § 1(c) Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Gdańsku
- Date of decision
- Mar 3, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Religion
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bayerisches Oberlandesgericht - 17.02.2023
- Case number
- 207 StRR 32/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung), Trivialising of genocide (Verharmlosen von Völkermordhandlungen) - comparison of protective measures in the COVID-19 pandemic with the Shoah - assessing the suitability of the action to disturb the public peace (Eignung zur Friedensstörung)
- Name of Court
- Bayerisches Oberlandesgericht
- Date of decision
- Feb 17, 2023
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Landgericht München - 10.02.2023
- Case number
- 26 O 197/23
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Freedom of speech, Injunctive Relief (Meinungsfreiheit, Unterlassungsanspruch) - a publisher wants an online platform operator to stop the dissemination of a review a third person wrote about a book published by the former - the review contains accusations regarding antisemitism and conspiracy theories.
BGB § 823 Abs. 1, § 1004 GG Art. 1 Abs. 1, Art. 2 Abs. 1
- Name of Court
- Landgericht München
- Date of decision
- Feb 10, 2023
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Sąd Okręgowy we Wrocławiu - 2.02.2023
- Case number
- IV Ka 1408/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns public speeches and online publications containing antisemitic and xenophobic hate speech targeting Jews and Ukrainians; the appellate court upheld the conviction, finding that the statements conveyed contempt and hostility and were capable of inciting hatred, clarifying that liability does not require explicit wording if the message promotes degradation, and emphasising that freedom of expression does not protect speech that violates the dignity and rights of others.
Art. 256 § 1, Art. 257, Art. 11 § 2, Art. 12 Criminal Code
Art. 4, Art. 5 § 2, Art. 7, Art. 366 § 1, Art. 410, Art. 438 Code of Criminal Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy we Wrocławiu - IV Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Feb 2, 2023
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Riley v Sivier - 01.02.2023
- Case number
- [2022] EWHC 2891 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The defendant, Mike Sivier, applied for leave to appeal against the libel judgment in favour of Rachel Riley, which ordered him to pay damages and costs. The Court of Appeal rejected the application on the grounds that the appeal had no realistic prospect of success and that Sivier's reliance on public interest failed due to the lack of a prior hearing of the plaintiff and because of manifestly unreasonable assumptions. The court thus upheld the decision of the lower court in its entirety.
- Name of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Date of decision
- Feb 1, 2023
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Sachsen-Anhalt - 31.01.2023
- Case number
- 11 L 2/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Pension Revocation (Aberkennung des Ruhegehalts) due to candidacy for the NPD - court asses the public official's loyalty to the constitution and duties (Verfassungstreue und Wohlverhaltenspflicht) - appeal is not allowed and the pension is revoked
§§ 12 f, 55f, 77 Abs 1 BDG, § 60f BBG, § 178 Abs 2 S 1 SGB
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Sachsen-Anhalt (11. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Jan 31, 2023
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Freedom of Speech
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 09.01.2023
- Case number
- 4 K 292/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Compulsory action (Verpflichtungsklage) - existing authorization for access to classified information is revoked and application to authorize the plaintiff to access classified information is rejected due to membership in an antisemitic and right-wing extremist chat group, here the National Socialist rule is devastated - there would be doubts about the commitment of the plaintiff concerned to the free democratic basic order within the meaning of the Basic Law.
Art. 12 Abs. 1 GG; §§ 3 Abs. 2, 5 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 1, 3, 14 Abs. 3 SÜG; § 43 Abs. 2 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin
- Date of decision
- Jan 9, 2023
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Workplace and labour issues
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Okręgowy we Wrocławiu - 5.01.2023
- Case number
- IV Ka 1252/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Criminal proceedings concerning alleged antisemitic and xenophobic insult on social media. The accused was charged with publicly insulting Jews and Ukrainians through posts containing historically loaded expressions. The appellate court upheld the acquittal, holding that criminal liability under Article 257 requires objectively insulting language combined with direct intent to target a group because of its national or ethnic identity. It found that the contested phrases, though controversial, did not unequivocally meet the strict threshold for criminal insult or incitement to hatred.
Art. 256 § 1, Art. 257 Criminal Code
Art. 7, Art. 410, Art. 438 Code of Criminal Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy we Wrocławiu IV Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Jan 5, 2023
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg - 15.12.2022
- Case number
- 6 S 1420/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Unreliability under firearms law (waffenrechtliche Unzuverlässigkeit) - the court upholds the lower court's decision, affirming that openly professing National Socialism consistently demonstrates a militantly aggressive stance against the fundamental principles of the constitution, thereby indicating an unreliability under weapons law.
Art. 4 I GG; §§ 41 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2, 5 Abs. 2 Nr. 3a WaffG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg
- Date of decision
- Dec 15, 2022
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Cour d’appel de Paris - 15.12.2022
- Case number
- n° 21/07902
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The case concerns the appeal filed by several anti-racism organizations against the acquittal of Jean-Marie L P (former leader of the Front National) and Jean-François J (the party's director of publication). The defendants were prosecuted for public provocation to discrimination, hatred, or violence based on religion/origin, following a controversial statement made by L P regarding the Jewish artist Patrick Bruel. In a "weblog" interview published on the Front National’s official website on June 6, 2014, Jean-Marie L P discussed artists who had criticized his party. When his interviewer mentioned Patrick Bruel, a French singer of Jewish faith, L P responded: "Listen, we'll make a batch/baking (fournée) next time".The term "fournée" was widely interpreted by civil parties as a reference to the crematoria of the Holocaust. L P admitted to making the statement but argued he used the word in its common sense (meaning a batch of bread) and denied any criminal intent. The Court confirmed that while the statement may have been perceived as hostile, it did not cross the legal threshold of incitement required by the Law of July 29, 1881. Therefore, the defendants committed no civil fault, and the requests for damages and the publication of the judgment were denied.
L'article 24 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881
- Name of Court
- Cour d’appel de Paris
- Date of decision
- Dec 15, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
- Criminal Law
Sąd Rejonowy dla Warszawy-Śródmieścia w Warszawie - 14.12.2022
- Case number
- VI Ns 346/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns an attempt to overturn a post war declaration of death of a woman allegedly killed during wartime and to establish a later date of death based on new evidence, in a context shaped by displacement and persecution during World War II; the court acknowledged that such cases are influenced by the legacy of wartime persecution, including situations affecting Jews where records were destroyed and identities disrupted, but held that where an official foreign death certificate exists, there is no basis to revise the earlier declaration, emphasizing the limits of legal correction despite the historical impact of antisemitic persecution.
Art. 541 § 1, Art. 542, Art. 535, Art. 520 § 1 Code of Civil Procedure
Art. 104, Art. 107, Art. 39 Law on Civil Status Records
- Name of Court
- Sąd Rejonowy dla Warszawy-Śródmieścia w Warszawie VI Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Dec 14, 2022
- Subjects
- Denazification
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Cour d'appel de Paris - 19.11.2020
- Case number
- n° 19/10956
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Incitement, Freedom of Speech (incitation, liberté d'expression) - The convicted person published an article on his website that incited hatred against the Jewish community and insulted them - The appeal confirms the guilt
Art. 23 al. 1, Art. 24 al. 7, Art. 29 al. 2, Art. 33 al. 3 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881; Art. 93-3 de la loi n° 82-652 du 29 juillet 1982; Art. 475-1 du code de procédure pénale
- Name of Court
- Cour d'appel de Paris (Pôle 2 - Chambre 7)
- Date of decision
- Nov 19, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Riley v Sivier - 16.11.2022
- Case number
- [2022] EWHC 2891 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Dafamation - Rachel Riley sued Mike Sivier over an online publication in which he accused her of publicly bullying a minor user and wrongfully incriminating her by linking her to well-known allegations of antisemitism. The accusation implied that Riley had used antisemitism unfairly or abusively, even though she is a public and vocal opponent of anti-Semitism. The court applied the serious harm test under the Defamation Act 2013 to determine whether this portrayal had seriously damaged her reputation or was likely to do so.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Nov 16, 2022
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Rachel Riley v Mike Sivier - 16.11.2022
- Case number
- [2022] EWHC 2891 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The subject matter is a defamation lawsuit brought by a television presenter against a political blogger concerning an article about online disputes related to the antisemitism debate within the Labour Party. The core of the case concerns the allegation that the claimant conducted a campaign of harassment against a minor and incited her followers to issue death threats. The court ruled to strike out the defendant’s principal defence submissions on the grounds that they had no realistic prospect of proving the truth of the defamatory statements of fact - Defamation Act 2013 (sections 2, 3, 4), Protection from Harassment Act 1997, Article 10 ECHR.
- Name of Court
- High Court Of Justice King's Bench Divison Media And Communications List
- Date of decision
- Nov 16, 2022
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Bremen - 15.11.2022
- Case number
- 1 D 87/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Association banned (Vereinsverbot) for supporting the association Hizb Allah. The plaintiff provided Hizb Allah, which is classified as an organization that is contrary to international understanding, with a platform in Germany and granted it significant ideological support. Art .9 II GG, § 3 Abs 1 VereinsG
- Name of Court
- OVG Bremen
- Date of decision
- Nov 15, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
- International Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Łodzi - 09.11.2022
- Case number
- II SA/Łd 453/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Monument protection (Ochrona zabytków)- - The applicant argued that the rejection of his application constituted discrimination on the grounds of his Jewish origin and violated the provisions on the protection of religious and cultural symbols - The judgement confirms the rejection of an application to save a synagogue
Art. 61, Art. 66 ust. 1 pkt 3 Prawo budowlane; Art. 26, Art. 126, Art. 126 ust. 1 Gospodarka nieruchomościami; Art. 3 Gwarancje wolności sumienia i wyznania; Art. 1, Art. 2, Art. 50 ust. 3, Art. 150 Ochrona zabytków i opieka nad zabytkami; Art. 1, Art. 2, Art. 3 ust. 2Ochrona dóbr kultury
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Łodzi - Wydział II
- Date of decision
- Nov 9, 2022
- Subjects
- Attack on Jewish Places of Worship
- Discrimination
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Bremen - 09.11.2022
- Case number
- 6 V 1313/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action against civil servants bitte anklicken. Removal from service (Verbot der Führung von Dienstgeschäften) – Concerns the dissemination of right-wing extremist and racist content by a firefighter, which violates human dignity and trivializes Nazi atrocities.
§ 39 BeamtStG; § 170 Abs. 2 STPO; § 80 Absatz 1 S. 1 VWGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Bremen
- Date of decision
- Nov 9, 2022
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Hannover - 09.11.2022
- Case number
- 2 A 3031/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal proceedings (Dienstenthebungsverfahren) - The soldier was dismissed for participating in a WhatsApp group that shared right-wing extremist and racist content, including images glorifying the Nazi regime and Adolf Hitler. The court upheld the dismissal, stating that the soldier had violated his duty to uphold the free democratic order and had significantly endangered the reputation of the Bundeswehr.
Art. 3. Abs 1 GG; §§ 8, 55 SG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Hannover
- Date of decision
- Nov 9, 2022
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Hannover - 07.11.2022
- Case number
- 5 A 184/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung) – The case concerns whether a doctor should lose his license to practice medicine after making several antisemitic and inflammatory public statements, including on his website. The court deemed him unfit to practice medicine due to a conviction for incitement to hatred, stressing that such conduct undermines the trust essential to the profession—even outside patient care. His claims that the remarks were satirical or unrelated to his job were rejected, as he continued to downplay them and spread antisemitic and xenophobic views.
§ 130 StGB, § 3 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 BÄO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Hannover
- Date of decision
- Nov 7, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Workplace and labour issues
Sąd Okręgowy we Wrocławiu - 28.10.2022
- Case number
- III K 128/22
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Criminal proceedings concerning a violent hate crime linked to extremist and antisemitic ideology. The accused carried out a public assault motivated by hostility toward perceived ideological symbols, and the court found the act to be hate-driven violence. In assessing liability and sentencing, the court relied heavily on the offender’s prior convictions for antisemitic hate speech, holding that his conduct reflected a progression from antisemitic rhetoric to physical violence. A custodial sentence was imposed, emphasising the serious social danger of hate-motivated extremism.
Art. 119 § 1, Art. 217a, Art. 11 § 2 and § 3, Art. 46 § 1, Art. 53 Criminal Code
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy we Wrocławiu III Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Oct 28, 2022
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Pogroms and Violent Attacks on Persons
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Landgericht München II - 18.10.2022
- Case number
- 6 Ns 12 Js 5385/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung) comparison of protective measures in the COVID-19 pandemic with the Shoah - court upholds the lower court's judgment that had convicted the defendant of incitement
§§ 17, 46 Abs 2 S. 2, 130 Abs. 3 StGB, § 6 Absatz 1 VStGB
- Name of Court
- Landgericht München II
- Date of decision
- Oct 18, 2022
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Amtsgericht Pirna - 10.10.2022
- Case number
- 212 Ds 378 Js 111/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung) - Facebook post depicts the antisemitic Jewish star with the label "not vaccinated" ("ungeimpft") - acquittal
§130 Abs 3 StGB
- Name of Court
- Amtsgericht Pirna
- Date of decision
- Oct 10, 2022
- Subjects
- Antijudaist Iconography
- Conspiracy Theories
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Bayrisches Oberstes Landesgericht - 07.10.2022
- Case number
- 202 StRR 90/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Use of unconstitutional symbols (Verwendung von Kennzeichen verfassungswidriger Organisationen) - Posting of a swastika (Hakenkreuz) online - the posting depicted an Israeli soldier with a swastika - court overturns lower court's decision to acquit
§ 86 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 in Verbindung mit § 86a Abs. 1 Nr. 1, Abs. 2 StGB
- Name of Court
- Bayrisches Oberstes Landesgericht
- Date of decision
- Oct 7, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related incident
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Oberlandesgericht Braunschweig - 05.10.2022
- Case number
- 1 Ss 34/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Ban on the public use of the swastika (postings on social internet platforms) (Verwenden von Kennzeichen verfassungswidriger Organisationen - The defendant posted on her private Facebook profile a modern health pass next to a Nazi health pass, which displayed an unaltered swastika. The defendant did not obviously distance herself from the NSDAP or its ideology in the post itself. The strict prohibition of the swastika prevents the re-establishment of such symbols into the political landscape.
§ 86a I StGB
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Braunschweig
- Date of decision
- Oct 5, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Köln - 14.09.2022
- Case number
- 23 K 4118/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal without notice (fristlose Entlassung) of a temporary soldier - the soldier had participated in group chats with racist, antisemitic and right-wing extremist content over a longer period of time - court asseses whether military order or reputation of the Bundeswehr is in jeopardy
§ 55 Abs. 5 SG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Köln (23. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Sep 14, 2022
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie - 9.09.2022
- Case number
- VIII K 206/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Criminal proceedings concerning repeated public antisemitic hate speech and incitement to hatred. The accused engaged in a sustained pattern of antisemitic statements online and at public events, publicly insulting Jews and followers of Judaism, inciting hatred, and praising violence. The court held that the conduct constituted criminal hate speech outside the protection of freedom of expression and imposed penalties, emphasising the serious social harm of antisemitism and the need for deterrence.
Art. 216 § 2, Art. 255 § 1, Art. 255 § 3, Art. 256 § 1, Art. 257, Art. 136 § 3, Art. 11 § 2 and § 3, Art. 33 § 1 and § 3, Art. 37a § 1, Art. 85 § 1, Art. 86 § 1 and § 2, Art. 43b Criminal Code
Art. 627 Code of Criminal Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie VIII Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Sep 9, 2022
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Arbeitsgericht Berlin - 05.09.2022
- Case number
- 22 Ca 1647/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Extraordinary dismissal of a journalist (außerordentliche Kündigung) - a journalist was dismissed from a public broadcasting service due to allegations of antisemitism - the requirement that the statements were made at a time when an employment relationship existed was not fulfilled - court goes into details on definitions of antisemitism and Israel-related antisemitism in particular
§ 626 Abs. 1, 2 BGB
- Name of Court
- Arbeitsgericht Berlin
- Date of decision
- Sep 5, 2022
- Subjects
- Israel-related Incidents
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Landgericht Aachen - 10.08.2022
- Case number
- 60 Qs 16/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
The defendant uploaded an image to a Facebook group showing a Jewish Star with the word ''Jew'' replaced by ''unvaccinated'', accompanied by the text ''The new Jewish Star''. The court denied a penal order for incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung), specifically for trivialization. The use of the "Judenstern" could be interpreted as merely denouncing the disadvantages faced by unvaccinated individuals compared to vaccinated ones, without specifically referring to the Shoah, rather, it acknowledges the crimes against Jews and uses the cruelty of the Nazi regime.
§ 86a I StGB
- Name of Court
- Landgericht Aachen
- Date of decision
- Aug 10, 2022
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
REGINA v PIERS PORTMAN- 29.07.2022
- Case number
- [2022] EWCA Crim 1200
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerned a renewed application for leave to appeal against conviction for intentionally causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress. The antisemitism-related core lay in an incident outside a magistrates’ court in which the applicant was found to have directed the words “Jewish scum” at a representative of an organisation combating antisemitism, following the sentencing of a defendant previously convicted of antisemitic offences. On appeal, the applicant argued procedural unfairness, including refusal of an adjournment due to absent witnesses, rejection of bad character evidence concerning the complainant, alleged abuse of process, and inappropriate judicial questioning. The Court of Appeal rejected all grounds, holding that the trial judge had properly exercised discretion, that the proposed bad character evidence lacked substantial probative value under s. 100 Criminal Justice Act 2003, and that the conviction was safe; leave to appeal was refused. Crime and Disorder Act 1998, s. 31(1)(b); Criminal Justice Act 2003, s. 100.
- Name of Court
- Court of Appeal Criminal Divison
- Date of decision
- Jul 29, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main - 15.07.2022
- Case number
- 5 - 2 StE 18/17 - 5a - 1/17
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Preparation of a serious act of violence endangering the state, embezzlement, fraud, violations of the Weapons and Explosives Act (Antrag auf Revision, Vorbereitung einer schweren staatsgefährdenden Gewalttat, Unterschlagung, Bertug, Verstöße gegen das Waffen- und Sprengstoffgesetz) - For years, the defendant had antisemitic, racist and anti-democratic views. Based on conspiracy theories, he was convinced that "Zionism" was waging a systematic race war in which millions of migrants were being brought to Germany. This would ultimately lead to the "extinction of the German race". High-ranking politicians and public figures with a pro-refugee attitude were particularly responsible for the supposed "decomposition of the German nation", which is why he planned to carry out an attempt on the life of one of those responsible.
§§ 89a Abs. 1, Abs. 2 Nr. 2, 246 Abs. 1, 263 Abs. 1 StGB; §§ 1 Abs. 1, 22a Abs. 1 Nr. 6 lit. a), Nr. 50 der Anlage zu § 1 Abs. 1 KrWaffG; §§ 1 Abs. 1, Abs. 2, Abs. 3, Abs. 4; 2 Abs. 2, 52 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 lit. b), Abs. 3 Nr. 2 lit. a) und b), Anlage 1 Abschnitt 1 Unterabschnitt 1 Nrn. 1.1, 2.2, 2.5 Unterabschnitt 3 Nr. 1.1, 1.2 und 1.4, Anlage 2 Abschnitt 2 Unterabschnitt 1 Satz 1 WaffG; § 52 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 lit. d) WaffG in der bis zum 5. Juli 2017 geltenden Fassung; §§ 1 Abs. 2 Nr. 2, 3 Abs. 1 Nr. 3, 27 Abs. 1, 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 SprengG in der bis zum 30. Juni 2017 geltenden Fassung, §§ 52, 53 StGB.
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main
- Date of decision
- Jul 15, 2022
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Conspiracy Theories
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Regina v Nicholas Nelson - 15.07.2022
- Case number
- [2022] EWCA Crim 1080
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerned a reference by the Attorney General on the ground that the original sentences imposed for multiple offences of racially and antisemitically aggravated harassment and malicious electronic communications were unduly lenient. The antisemitism-related core lay in a prolonged campaign of extreme abuse, including Holocaust-related and implicitly violent messages, directed at Jewish individuals, including public figures, and committed despite previous suspended sentences for similar conduct. The Court held that suspending the custodial terms had been unduly lenient, quashed the suspended sentences, and imposed an immediate aggregate term of 18 months’ imprisonment; earlier suspended sentences were activated and ordered to run concurrently. Malicious Communications Act 1988, s. 1(1)(a), (b); Crime and Disorder Act 1998, s. 32(1)(a); Criminal Justice Act 1988, s. 36.
- Name of Court
- Court of Appeal of England and Wales
- Date of decision
- Jul 15, 2022
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Regina v Nicholas Nelson – 31.08.2022
- Case number
- [2022] EWCA Crim 1080
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Hate Speech, Holocaust trivialisation – Antisemitic harassment of a Jewish blogger – defendant had been previously sentenced for similar offences
- Name of Court
- Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
- Date of decision
- Jul 15, 2022
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Bayerisches Oberstes Landesgericht - 14.07.2022
- Case number
- 206 StRR 27/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Displaying a flag with the image of Abdullah Öcalan at a public meeting may be punishable as using the emblem of a banned organization - the PKK (vereinsrechtliches Kennzeichenverbot).
§ 9 § 20 Abs 1 S. 1 Nr.5 VereinsG
- Name of Court
- Bayerisches Oberstes Landesgericht (6. Strafsenat)
- Date of decision
- Jul 14, 2022
- Subjects
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
R (CAGE) v Secretary of State for Education - 07.07.2022
- Case number
- [2022] EWHC 2373 (Admin)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Discrimination - the organisation CAGE sought judicial review of a letter from the Secretary of State for Education to schools regarding antisemitic incidents. The High Court of Justice dismissed the application, finding that the letter referred to existing duties of political balance and protection against discrimination and did not constitute indirect discrimination.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Jul 7, 2022
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Israel-related incident
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Amtsgericht München - 06.07.2022
- Case number
- 815 Cs 112 Js 213900/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung) - Posting antisemitic, right-wing extremist stickers in widespread group chats.
§ 130 Abs 2,3,5 StGB
- Name of Court
- Amtsgericht München
- Date of decision
- Jul 6, 2022
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Landesarbeitsgericht Hessen - 30.06.2022
- Case number
- 5 TaBV 158/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Disciplinary warning letter (Abmahnung) due to alleged antisemitic remarks in the workplace - the employee rejects the allegations - the situation is to be clarified by the establishment of a conciliation committee (Einrichtung einer Einigungsstelle) - concerns the involvement of the labour representative (Betriebsrat) in the proceedings
§ 100 Abs. 1 ArbGG; § 85 Abs. 2 S. 3 BetrVG
- Name of Court
- Landesarbeitsgericht Hessen
- Date of decision
- Jun 30, 2022
- Subjects
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgericht Gera - 28.06.2022
- Case number
- 6 K 777/19
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Compensation for the expropriation of Jewish shareholders (Entschädigung) -The Jewish department store “R...” in E... was forcibly sold in 1937 due to antisemitic boycotts and state pressure. The NSDAP-affiliated buyer had previously taken part in the “Aryanization” of Jewish businesses. Although the purchase price was about 21% below market value, the court deemed the real abuse to lie in the dismissal of Jewish staff without legal basis and the fact that only 40% of the payment reached the sellers. The conduct was ruled a serious abuse of position and a ruthless exploitation of the sellers' situation.
§ 1 Abs 4 AusglLeistG; §§ 54 Abs. 1, 57 Abs. 1, 57 Abs. 2 Satz 1 BewG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Gera
- Date of decision
- Jun 28, 2022
- Subjects
- Compensation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Landesarbeitsgericht Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - 21.06.2022
- Case number
- 5 Sa 256/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Extraordinary dismissal (außerordentliche Kündigung) of a primary school teacher - court is doubting the claimant's commitment to the free democratic basic order (freiheitlich demokratische Grundordnung) - he had disseminated content that questioned the existence of the Holocaust - connection to the Nordkreuz-complex
§626 I BGB, § 3 I 2 TV-L
- Name of Court
- Landesarbeitsgericht Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Date of decision
- Jun 21, 2022
- Subjects
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 14.06.2022
- Case number
- VI ZR 172/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
General Right to Personality (Allgemeines Persönlichkeitsrecht) - Display of antijudaist iconography at the church of Wittenberge - demand to remove insulting iconography because of an infringement on the Jewish claimants' rights - court find that a violation of rights is non existent at present (Fehlen einer gegenwärtigen Rechtsverletzung)
§ 823 BGB i.V.m. Art. 2 Abs. 1, Art. 1 Abs. 1 GG, §1004 Abs. 1 Satz 1 BGB
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof 6. Zivilsenat
- Date of decision
- Jun 14, 2022
- Subjects
- Antijudaist Iconography
- General right to personality
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Regina v Nicholas Azam Lalchan – 27.05.2022
- Case number
- [2022] EWCA Crim 736
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Antisemitic Daubings, procedural matters – man was convicted of possessing racially inflammatory material and authoring antisemitic as well as homophobic graffiti at bus stops in London – decision concerns the failure to obtain the consent of the Attorney General before initiating the proceedings – appeal is allowed
Section 27(1) Public Order Act 1986
- Name of Court
- Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
- Date of decision
- May 27, 2022
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf - 27.05.2022
- Case number
- 6 StS 2/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Incitement to hatred, formation of and participation in a criminal organisation (Volksverhetzung, Gründung und Beteiligung in einer kriminellen vereinigung) - the plaintiff was part of the antisemitic Goyim movement and distributed antisemitic content.
§ 25 II, 129, 130 StGB
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf (6. Strafsenat)
- Date of decision
- May 27, 2022
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Bundesverwaltungsgericht - 12.05.2022
- Case number
- 2 WD 10/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Soldier is removed from employment (Entlassung) - Behavior of a soldier that gives the impression of a high level of identification with the so-called Reich-Citizen's Movement (Reichsbürger) and thus of an anti-constitutional attitude - removal from service - judgment of 18 February 2021 overturned
§§ 17 Abs. 3 S. 2, 38 Abs. 1, 58; Abs. 2 Nr. 5, 63 Abs. 1, 84 Abs. 2, 91 Abs. 1 WDO; §§ 249 Abs. 1 S. 1, Abs. 2 S. 1 StPO; §§ 8, § 23 Abs. 1 SG
- Name of Court
- Bundesverwaltungsgericht
- Date of decision
- May 12, 2022
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Conspiracy Theories
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Cour d'appel de Paris - 12.05.2022
- Case number
- 21/02860 UEJF et a. c/ E. Zemmour
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Holocaust denial (Contestation de crimes contre l’humanité) – The Court of Appeal acquitted a French politician, prosecuted for stating that “Pétain saved the French Jews,” holding that his remarks, while offensive to deportees’ families, did not amount to Holocaust denial or minimization of extermination policies, since they did not question the number of victims or the reality of Nazi crimes. It also stressed that Pétain himself had not been convicted of crimes against humanity, but only of collaboration with the enemy.
Art. 24 bis Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse.
- Name of Court
- Cour d'appel de Paris
- Date of decision
- May 12, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie - 9.05.2022
- Case number
- II SA/Wa 4079/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Refusal to grant a special pension by the Prime Minister in proceedings invoking alleged antisemitic and political persecution. The applicant claimed entitlement to a discretionary benefit based on purported exceptional merits, including a self-described lifelong fight against antisemitism and related forms of discrimination. The Prime Minister and the administrative court rejected the application, holding that allegations of antisemitism and persecution, unsupported by objective and verifiable evidence of exceptional public merit, do not satisfy the statutory criteria for a special pension.
Art. 82 § 1 Act of 17 December 1998 on Pensions and Disability Benefits from the Social Insurance Fund
Art. 151 Act of 30 August 2002 – Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
Art. 107 § 3, Art. 80 Code of Administrative Procedure
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie
- Date of decision
- May 9, 2022
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Greifswald - 05.05.2022
- Case number
- 11 A 1449/21 HGW
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Removal of a police officer from the civil service (Entfernung aus Beamtenverhältnis)- court finds a lack of loyalty to the constitution (fehlende Verfassungstreue) due to posting several racist and antisemitic messages, also trivialising the holocaust
§ 33 Abs. 1 S. 3, Abs. 5BeamtStG, §§ 15 Abs. 2 S. 1, 55 Abs. 1, Abs. 3 LDG M-V
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Greifswald
- Date of decision
- May 5, 2022
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin - 05.05.2022
- Case number
- 3 A 209/18 SN
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Lack of reliability under firearms law (Waffenrechtliche Unzuverlässigkeit) - Even after leaving the right-wing extremist party NPD in 2015, the plaintiff is still considered unreliable under weapons law because he continues to be involved in right-wing extremist structures, in some cases in prominent positions.
§ 5, 41 WaffG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin
- Date of decision
- May 5, 2022
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Criminal Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 06.04.2022
- Case number
- AK 11/22
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Founding of a terrorist organization (Gründung einer terroristischen Vereinigung), a subgroup of the so called Atomwaffen Division - the group propagates "white supremacy" and is calling for the murder and expulsion of migrants, Black persons and Jews - concerns the extension of pretrial detention
§22,23, 52, 89a, 89a Abs 1, 2 Nr 2, 3, 129a Abs 1 Nr 1 StGB
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof (3. Strafsenat)
- Date of decision
- Apr 6, 2022
- Subjects
- Pogroms and Violent Attacks on Persons
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Cour de cassation - 31.03.2022
- Case number
- Pourvoi n° S 20-22.152 (Arrêt n° 362 F-D)
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Incitement (Incitation) - In 2013, Alain S. and his publishing house were ordered to remove 15 pages from a new edition of a book because they constituted incitement to hatred - They did not comply with this order and explicitly advertised the book online as “uncensored” - LICRA then filed a motion for the imposition of a coercive fine - After the case had gone through the courts, the Cour de Cassation confirmed the violation of the court order and thus the sentence to pay the penalty payment
- Name of Court
- Cour de cassation, deuxième chambre civile
- Date of decision
- Mar 31, 2022
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Civi Law
Wilson v Mendelsohn & Ors
- Case number
- [2022] EWHC 715 (QB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Defamation - The plaintiff filed a defamation suit over comments made on Facebook and Twitter in which he was referred to as a ‘weirdo’ and a ‘freak,’ among other things. The dispute arose in a Twitter thread that later included debates about anti-Semitism and in which the plaintiff was accused of anti-Semitic stereotypes.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Mar 30, 2022
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Rejonowy w Toruniu - 28.03.2022
- Case number
- IV P 328/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns dismissal from employment where the employee claimed it was unjustified, while the employer relied on his conduct at work; the court upheld the termination, finding that although he performed his duties properly, he repeatedly expressed offensive and antisemitic views portraying Jews negatively, which disrupted workplace relations, and held that such conduct exceeded acceptable limits of expression in employment and justified dismissal, rejecting the compensation claim.
Art. 30 § 4, Art. 45 § 1, Art. 207 § 2, Art. 300 Labour Code
Art. 415, Art. 448, Art. 471 Civil Code
Art. 102 Code of Civil Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Rejonowy w Toruniu IV Wydział Pracy i Ubezpieczeń Społecznych
- Date of decision
- Mar 28, 2022
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 22.03.2022
- Case number
- 3 StR 270/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Attempted murder and murder, (attempted) aggravated robbery, negligent bodily harm, endangering traffic (versuchter Mord und Mord, räubersiche Erpressung, gefährliche Körperverletzung, Gefährdung des Straßenverkehrs) - Attempted armed attack on the synagogue in Halle - the perpetrator primarily intended to target Jews as "the root of all evil" with his attack - the court orders indeterminate preventive detention for the defendant (Sicherheitsverwahrung) - the supreme court affirms the lower court's decision, the appeal by two co-plaintiffs is rejected
§§ 211, 212, 223, 224, 250, 253 StGB
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof (3. Strafsenat)
- Date of decision
- Mar 22, 2022
- Subjects
- Murder and Manslaughter
- Pogroms and Violent Attacks on Persons
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Bundessozialgericht - 16.03.2022
- Case number
- B 6 KA 34/21 B
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Revocation of a statutory dental care licence (Entziehung einer Lizenz zur vertragszahnärztlichen Versorgung) - a Jewish dentist repeatedly clashes with his Association of Statutory Health Dentists and accuses them of antisemitism and racism - the association revokes the dentist's license to provide statutory health dental care against which he takes legal action - rejection of the complaint against the non-admission of the appeal.
SGG § 73a Abs. 1 S. 1; ZPO § 114 ; SGG § 160 Abs. 2 Nr. 1
- Name of Court
- Bundessozialgericht
- Date of decision
- Mar 16, 2022
- Subjects
- Refusal to License a Business
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberlandesgericht Koblenz - 16.03.2022
- Case number
- 6 U 195/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Free speech (Meinungsfreiheit), Damages (Schadensersatz) for allegations of antisemitism - concerns a writer on Wikipedia who has contributed to texts about the Arab-Israeli conflict, German Jews and politicians - the writer has described many persons and also the claimant as antizionist and antiamerican - the court rejects the complaint that alleged that the prior proceedings violated the right to a hearing in court (Anhörungsrüge)
§ ZPO § 321a Abs. ZPO § 321A Absatz 2 ZPO
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Koblenz
- Date of decision
- Mar 16, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Okręgowy w Sieradzu - 14.02.2022
- Case number
- I Ca 624/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Acquisitive prescription of property formerly owned by a Jewish family in a context where antisemitism was invoked to suspend limitation periods. The heir of a former Jewish owner argued that post-war antisemitism, communist political conditions, and forced emigration to Israel prevented the pursuit of property rights. The courts rejected these arguments, holding that general claims of antisemitism and political hostility, without individualized proof of objective impossibility to assert claims, do not suspend prescription and that Jewish owners were not legally barred from pursuing property claims in Poland during the relevant period.
Art. 172, Art. 175, Art. 121 point 4 Civil Code
Art. XLI § 2 Introductory Provisions to the Civil Code
Art. 520 § 1 Code of Civil Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy w Sieradzu I Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Feb 14, 2022
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Restitution
- Withdrawal of Citizenship
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Oberlandesgericht Koblenz - 31.01.2022
- Case number
- 6 U 195/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Free speech (Meinungsfreiheit), Damages (Schadensersatz) for allegations of antisemitismus - concerns a writer on Wikipedia who has contributed to texts about the Arab-Israeli conflict, German Jews and politicians - the writer has described many persons and also the claimant as antizionist and antiamerican - appeal by the writer who claims the general right to personality is not affected severely enough
§ 823 BGB, Art. 1 Abs. 1, 2 Abs. 1 GG
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Koblenz
- Date of decision
- Jan 31, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Münster - 27.01.2022
- Case number
- 1 B 1756/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal without notice (fristlose Entlassung) of a temporary soldier - the soldier had participated in at least two group chats with racist, antisemitic and right-wing extremist content over a longer period of time - assessment of whether military order or the reputation of the Bundeswehr are in jeopardy
§ 80 Abs. 5 VwGO, §§ 55 Abs. 5, 47 Abs. 2, 24 Abs. 1 Nr. 6 SG
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Münster (1. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Jan 27, 2022
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin - 19.01.2022
- Case number
- 3 B 1182/21 SN
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Unreliability under firearms law (waffenrechtliche Unzuverlässigkeit) – court finds that images and posts in chat groups glorifying violence, racism, antisemitism and National Socialism can lead to the conclusion that a person is unreliable under firearms law - context of the Nazi network Nordkreuz
§ 80 VwGO, §§ 4ff, 10, 41 Abs 2, 45 Abs 5 WaffG (2002)
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin
- Date of decision
- Jan 19, 2022
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Cour de cassation chambre criminelle - 18.01.2022
- Case number
- n° 21-80.611
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The defendant, M. [V] [Z] (referred to in the context as Dieudonné), was prosecuted for public racial insult and provocation to racial hatred following a post on Twitter and his website, "Egalité et Réconciliation." The post featured a photograph of him performing the "quenelle" gesture (often interpreted as an inverted Nazi salute) in front of the Colmar courthouse. The Court of Cassation partially quashed the appeal judgment, specifically declaring the civil claim of the Consistoire Israélite du Haut-Rhin inadmissible. All other provisions, including the criminal conviction and the damages awarded to LICRA and Association, were upheld. The defendant was ordered to pay 2,500 euros each to LICRA and Association for their legal costs.
l'article 48-1 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881
- Name of Court
- Cour de cassation
- Date of decision
- Jan 18, 2022
- Subjects
- Compensation
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Sąd Najwyższy - 17.01.2022
- Case number
- III KK 460/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Cassation proceedings concerning a murder conviction in which antisemitic language was used by the accused during the incident. The defence argued that the expression “Żydy” reflected the situation rather than hostility. The Supreme Court dismissed the cassation, holding that the antisemitic language was not legally decisive and did not affect the assessment of intent or the rejection of self-defence, which remained the central issues of the case.
Art. 148 § 1, Art. 25 § 1 Criminal Code
Art. 7, Art. 410, Art. 433 § 2, Art. 457 § 3, Art. 535 § 3 Code of Criminal Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Najwyższy - Izba Karna
- Date of decision
- Jan 17, 2022
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Murder and Manslaughter
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Hamburg - 13.01.2022
- Case number
- 5 K 6549/16
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Denial of naturalization application (Ablehnung des Einbürgerungsantrags) – The court found that the applicant supported Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), a group banned in Germany for opposing the democratic order. Evidence included attending HuT events and social media activity, such as retweeting and liking content from related groups. The ruling emphasized that even passive actions can support anti-democratic efforts, and the applicant failed to show credible distancing from these ideologies.
§ 11 S.1 Nr 1 STAG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Hamburg
- Date of decision
- Jan 13, 2022
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bundesverwaltungsgericht - 13.01.2022
- Case number
- 2 WD 4.21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Disciplinary proceedings against a lieutenant concerning WhatsApp messages containing antisemitic statements (antisemitische Beleidigung) – The court ruled that offensive remarks in private group chats constitute a service offense only if they have an impact within the military context. Private messages exchanged within a trusted circle are protected by freedom of expression. The case also addressed procedural issues regarding judicial impartiality and examined the soldier’s disciplinary record.
GG Art. 1 Abs. 1, Art. 2 Abs. 1, Art. 5 Abs. 1 Satz 1, Art. 21 Abs. 2, Art. 101 Abs. 1 Satz 2 SG §§ 1 Abs. 3 Satz 1 und 2, 6 Satz 1, 8 Alt. 1 und 2, 10 Abs. 1 und 6, 17 Abs. 2 Satz 3, 22 Satz 1, 23 Abs. 1 StGB §§ 130, 185 StPO § 170 Abs. 2 VorgV § 4 Abs. 1 Nr. 2, Abs. 3 WBO § 17 WDO 2002 §§ 17 Abs. 2 und 5, 22, 38 Abs. 1, 58 Abs. 1 Nr. 1, Abs. 5 und 7, 77 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 Buchst. c, 82 Abs. 2 Satz 4, 108 Abs. 3 Satz 1, 121 Abs. 2, 123 Abs. 1 Satz 3, 126 Abs. 5 Satz 3, 138 Abs. 3, 139 Abs. 3, 140 Abs. 1
- Name of Court
- Bundesverwaltungsgericht
- Date of decision
- Jan 13, 2022
- Subjects
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Amtsgericht Frankfurt am Main - 06.01.2022
- Case number
- 907 Ds 6111 Js 250180/19
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dissemination within the meaning of 130 Abs. 2 (Volksverhetzung) - exists if the substance of a writing is made accessible to a larger group of people. Specifically, the case concerned the content of a WhatsApp status in which a video could be seen that fulfilled the characteristics of incitement to hatred in relation to members of the Jewish faith (Kennzeichen verfassungwidriger Organisationen).
§ 11 Abs 3 a.F., § 17 S 1, § 74 Abs 1, § 86 Abs 1 Nr 4, Abs 3 a.F, § 86a Abs 1 Nr 1, Abs 2 aF, §130 Abs 1 Nr 1, Abs 2 Nr 1a aF StGB
- Name of Court
- Amtsgericht Frankfurt am Main (Abteilung 907)
- Date of decision
- Jan 6, 2022
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Prohibition of Symbols, Parties & Associations
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - 03.01.2022
- Case number
- I ACa 354/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Compensation for the violation of personal interests (Zadośćuczynienie za naruszenie dobra osobistego) - Dispute between a museum and a person who allegedly spread false information about the museum - The allegations related to the museum deceiving its visitors and belittling the memory of Polish victims of a German concentration camp - The District Court initially dismissed the claim, as the defendant's statements were covered by freedom of expression - The museum's appeal was partially accepted as the court found that some of the defendant's statements damaged the museum's reputation and had antisemitic undertones - The court emphasised that freedom of expression has limits and hate speech against certain groups is not acceptable in public debate
Art. 448 Kodeks cywilny
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - i Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Jan 3, 2022
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Riley v Murray -20.12.2021
- Case number
- [2021] EWHC 3437 (QB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Defamation - In Riley v Murray, the defendant was found liable for a tweet that falsely attributed an endorsement of violence to the plaintiff. The High Court classified the statement as a defamatory statement of fact and rejected the defences of truth, honest opinion and public interest. The tweet was published against the background of wider public debates, including discussions on antisemitism in the Labour Party in which the plaintiff was publicly involved, but the court’s assessment focused on the defamatory meaning of the statement and the resulting serious harm to reputation within the meaning of the Defamation Act 2013.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Dec 10, 2021
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Oberlandesgericht Dresden - 10.12.2021
- Case number
- 4 W 876/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Appeal against decision (Beschwerde gegen Beschluss) - The court ruled that the “right to counter-attack” in response to defamatory remarks does not cover criminal insults or coercion. A defendant who posted an aggressive comment on a council member’s Facebook page was held liable, underscoring the limits of free speech when it crosses into criminal behavior.
ZPO § 91a Abs. 2 S. 1, § 567 Abs. 1; BGB § 823 Abs. 1, Abs. 2, § 1004; StGB § 185, § 240; GG Art. 5
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Dresden
- Date of decision
- Dec 10, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Freiburg - 08.12.2021
- Case number
- 3 K 2539/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal from police training (Entlassung aus Hochschule für Polizei) - Application for suspensive effect of dismissal (Antrag auf aufschiebende Wirkung der Entlassung) - the officer in training aims to return to police school after he was dismissed because of doubts about his character suitability - largely passive membership in an internal police WhatsApp group in which antisemitic, racist, violence-trivializing and glorifying as well as misogynistic comments and pictures are shared
§ 80 V VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Freiburg
- Date of decision
- Dec 8, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Köln - 26.11.2021
- Case number
- 35 K 2758/21.T
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for the opening of professional court proceedings (Antrag auf Eröffnung eines berufsgerichtichen Verfahrens) - the chamber of medical professionals (Ärztekammer) Nordrhein claims a violation of the duty to practice the medical profession took place - a doctor had published a highly antisemitic, holocaust distorting book - the opening of proceedings is denied
§ 29 Abs. 1 HeilBerG i.V.m. § 2 Abs. 2 Berufsordnung für die nordrheinischen Ärztinnen und Ärzte
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Köln
- Date of decision
- Nov 26, 2021
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Nordreihn-Westfalen - 24.11.2021
- Case number
- 1 B 1637/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal from service (Amtsenthebung) – The applicant was dismissed for requesting a film that glorifies the Nazi regime and disparages Holocaust victims. The court temporarily suspended the dismissal, stating that further investigation into the applicant’s behavior after receiving the film is necessary. – The respondent's appeal is dismissed.
Art. 12 GG; §§ 2, 37 Abs. 2 Satz 1 BBG; § 80 Abs. 5 S. 1 VwGO; § 146 Abs. 4 Satz 6 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Nordreihn-Westfalen
- Date of decision
- Nov 24, 2021
- Subjects
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bundesverfassungsgericht - 11.11.2021
- Case number
- 1 BvR 11/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Free speech and general right to personality (Meinungsäußerungsfreiheit und Allgemeines Persönlichkeitsrecht) - question whether singer can be called an antisemite
Art. 5 Abs. 1 Satz 1 GG, Art. 2 Abs. 1 GG, § 1004 Abs. 1 und § 823 Abs. 2 BGB iVm § 186 StGB, § 193 StGB
- Name of Court
- Bundesverfassungsgericht
- Date of decision
- Nov 11, 2021
- Subjects
- Artistic Freedom
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Constitutional Court
- Area of Law
- Constitutional Law
Bundesverwaltungsgericht - 03.11.2021
- Case number
- 2 B 39.21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Confirms the legality of removal from public service (Entfernung aus dem öffentlichen Dienst).
§§ 61 Abs. 1 S. 1, S. 3, 77 Abs. 1 BBG; §§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 5, 10, 13 Abs. 1, Abs. 2, 22 Abs. 3, 60 Abs. 2 S. 2 Nr. 1 BDG; § 130 StGB
- Name of Court
- Bundesverwaltungsgericht
- Date of decision
- Nov 3, 2021
- Subjects
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie - 27.10.2021
- Case number
- VII SA/Wa 1350/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a planned construction project on land allegedly overlapping with a former Jewish cemetery, where authorities refused approval on the basis of protecting Jewish heritage and memory; the court acknowledged the importance of safeguarding sites connected to Jewish communities, especially in light of their historical destruction, but held that such protection must be grounded in clear and verifiable evidence, and annulled the decisions because the authorities failed to prove that the specific plot actually constituted a protected cemetery area despite invoking its Jewish historical significance.
Art. 7, Art. 77 §1, Art. 80, Art. 107 §3 Code of Administrative Procedure
Art. 60(1), Art. 53(4)(2) Act on Spatial Planning and Development
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie
- Date of decision
- Oct 27, 2021
- Subjects
- Attack on Jewish Places of Worship
- Cemetery Desecration
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Keable v London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham - 26.10.2021
- Case number
- EA-2019-000733-DA
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The Employment Appeal Tribunal dismissed the employer’s appeal, confirming that Mr Keable’s dismissal was procedurally and substantively unfair because the employer failed to clearly explain how his comments were interpreted and why they justified dismissal. Reinstatement was held to be practicable, as no complete breakdown of trust and confidence was proven. The case emphasises procedural fairness and proportionality in relation to lawful political speech expressed outside the workplace.
- Name of Court
- Employment Appeal Tribunal
- Date of decision
- Oct 26, 2021
- Subjects
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Special Court
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham v Keable – 26.10.2021
- Case number
- EA-2019-000733-DA (previously UKEAT/0333/19/DA)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Unfair Dismissal – claimant was dismissed by local authority – claimant had participated in a rallye outside parliament and was filmed alleging a collaboration of the Zionist movement with the German nationalsocialist regime – the film clip was shared widely online and the claimant was identified as a worker for the local council – the claimant was suspended from his job – a judge found the dismissal to be unfair - appeal against first instance decision - context of debates around antisemitism in the Labour Party – Equality Act 2010, Human Rights Act, s 94 Employment Rights Act 1996
- Name of Court
- Employment Appeal Tribunal
- Date of decision
- Oct 26, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Israel-related Incidents
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Civil Law
R v Nugent – 22.10.2021
- Case number
- [2021] EWCA Crim 1535
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Inciting violence - man pleads guilty to distributing of Nazi, anti-muslim, anti-semitic and violence inciting terrorist publications – appeal concerns the sentencing which was deemed too lenient by the solicitor general – s 2(1) Terrorism Act 2006, s 58(1)(b) Terrorism Act 2000, s 36 Criminal Justice Act 1988
- Name of Court
- Court of Appeal (Criminal Divisioin)
- Date of decision
- Oct 22, 2021
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Pogroms and Violent Attacks on Persons
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Arbeitsgericht Fulda - 20.10.2021
- Case number
- 1 BV 8/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Disciplinary warning letter (Abmahnung) due to alleged antisemitic remarks in the workplace - the employee rejects the allegations - the situation is to be clarified by the establishment of a conciliation committee (Einrichtung einer Einigungsstelle) - the proceedings concern the question of who may lead the committee - the court decides that a judge at a labour court is going to lead the committee
BetrVG § 85 Abs. 2 S.1, § 76 Abs. 2 S. 2
- Name of Court
- Arbeitsgericht Fulda (1. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Oct 20, 2021
- Subjects
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgericht Köln - 19.10.2021
- Case number
- 23 L 1476/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal without notice (fristlose Entlassung) of a temporary soldier - the soldier had participated in at least two group chats with racist, antisemitic and right-wing extremist content over a longer period of time - court assesses whether conduct violates military order or the reputation of the Bundeswehr
§§ 55, 47, 24, 8, 17
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Köln
- Date of decision
- Oct 19, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Magdeburg (15. Kammer) - 19.10.2021
- Case number
- 15 A 5/21 MD
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Pension Revocation (Aberkennung des Ruhegehalts) due to candidacy for the NPD - court asses his loyalty to the constitution and duties (Verfassungstreue und Wohlverhaltenspflicht) - disciplinary action is considered admissible and substantiated
§§ 60 Abs. 1 Satz 3, 77 Abs. 1, 61 Abs. 1 Satz 3 BBG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Magdeburg (15. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Oct 19, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Schleswig (6. Kammer) - 14.10.2021
- Case number
- 6 B 50/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for injunction relief regarding antisemitic statements (Antrag auf Unterlassung) - the applicant claims that her general right of personality (Allgemeines Persönlichkeitsrecht) has been violated by antisemitic statements that had been reported by the local newspaper - she had blamed Jews for the covid pandemic - the application is admissible, but is rejected as materially unfounded
Art. 1 Abs. 1, Art. 2 Abs. 1 GG; § 123 Abs. 1 S. 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Schleswig (6. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Oct 14, 2021
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Landessozialgericht Rheinland-Pfalz - 07.10.2021
- Case number
- L 5 KA 17/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Revocation of a statutory dental care licence (Entziehung einer Lizenz zur vertragszahnärztlichen Versorgung) - a Jewish dentist repeatedly clashes with his Association of Statutory Health Dentists and accuses them of antisemitism and racism - the association revokes the dentist's license to provide statutory health dental care against which he takes legal action - dismissal of the appeal.
SGG § 54 Abs. 1, Abs. 4, § 140
- Name of Court
- Landessozialgericht Rheinland-Pfalz (5. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Oct 7, 2021
- Subjects
- Refusal to License a Business
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 07.10.2021
- Case number
- VG 2 K 79/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action against the decision of the German Bundestag on BDS (Klage gegen Beschluss des Deutschen Bundestages zu BDS) - The plaintiffs are supporters of the so-called "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" campaign - in 2019 the German Bundestag had decided to adopt the non-legally binding motion to counter the BDS movement - the plaintiffs allege interference with a number of basic rights - the court determines that the issue is a question of administrative law and that the Bundestag decision is not violating German Basic Law
§§ 40, 43 VwGO; Art 2 Abs 1, 5, 8, 9,20 GG; Art 10,11 EMRK
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin (2. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Oct 7, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Arbeitsgericht Schwerin - 06.10.2021
- Case number
- 1 Ca 277/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Extraordinary dismissal (außerordentliche Kündigung) of a primary school teacher - he is alleged to be a member of the Nazi movement Nordkreuz - antisemitic attitudes are not detailed at the first instance level
§ 102 BetrVG, § 626 Abs. 2 BGB
- Name of Court
- Arbeitsgericht Schwerin (1. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Oct 6, 2021
- Subjects
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgericht Köln - 06.10.2021
- Case number
- 15 L 1549/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal from service (Amtsenthebung) – The applicant was dismissed for requesting a film that glorifies the Nazi regime and disparages Holocaust victims. The court temporarily suspended the dismissal, stating that further investigation into the applicant’s behavior after receiving the film is necessary.
Art. 12 GG; §§ 2, 37 Abs. 2 Satz 1 BBG; § 80 Abs. 5 S. 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Köln
- Date of decision
- Oct 6, 2021
- Subjects
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Cour de cassation - 05.10.2021
- Case number
- N° 20-87.163
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Freedom of Speech, Incitement (Liberté d'expression, Incitation) - A rap group publishes a music video on the far-right website Egalité et Réconciliation, in which images of Jewish people are burned and they are referred to as “parasites” - The first-instance conviction is overturned by the appeals court, which sees the video as merely political criticism of the financial world - In the appeal, this acquittal is overturned again because the appeals court did not sufficiently consider antisemitic symbols and elements
Art. 24, alinéa 7,Art. 29, alinéa 1 et 2,Art. 32, alinéa 2, Art. 33, alinéas 2 et 3 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse; Art. 10, § 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights
- Name of Court
- Cour de cassation, chambre criminelle
- Date of decision
- Oct 5, 2021
- Subjects
- Antijudaist Iconography
- Artistic Freedom
- Conspiracy Theories
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Landgericht Dresden - 05.10.2021
- Case number
- 3 O 1471/21 EV
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Costs dispute (Kostenstreit) - A municipal politician accuses a board member of an association during a city council meeting among other things of neo-Nazism and Holocaust denial whereupon the latter reacts with offensive terms online - the legal dispute was settled by an agreement only the cost issue remained disputed.
StGB § 185; ZPO § 91 a, § 98
- Name of Court
- Landgericht Dresden (3. Zivilkammer)
- Date of decision
- Oct 5, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Insult
Cour de cassation - 03.10.2021
- Case number
- n° 20-84.127
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Antisemitic caricature, Holocaust denial (Caricature antisémite, Négationnisme) - The defendant published an article on his website containing excerpts from his lawyer's defense briefs and an anti-Semitic caricature - The texts trivialized the suffering of the victims of the Shoah by portraying the cruel treatment in the camps as mere hygiene measures - The cour de cassation convicted the man for denying crimes against humanity
Art. 24, Art. 41 bis de la loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse; Article 6, § 1, de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme
- Name of Court
- Cour de cassation, chambre criminelle
- Date of decision
- Oct 3, 2021
- Subjects
- Antijudaist Iconography
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - 16.08.2021
- Case number
- I ACa 300/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a dispute over a historical publication describing wartime events involving Jews, in which the claimant alleged that portraying her relative as co responsible for the killing of Jews violated the cult of memory of the deceased; the appellate court overturned the earlier judgment and dismissed the claim, holding that the publication formed part of legitimate scholarly research on the Holocaust and Polish Jewish relations, that courts cannot adjudicate historical truth or impose standards on academic methodology, and that freedom of scientific research and expression prevails unless there is clear bad faith or falsification, even in sensitive matters involving Jewish victims.
Art. 23, Art. 24 § 1 Civil Code
Art. 233 § 1, Art. 235 § 1, Art. 385, Art. 386 § 1, Art. 98 § 1, Art. 102 Code of Civil Procedure
Art. 10 European Convention on Human Rights
Art. 54, Art. 47, Art. 31 § 3 Constitution of the Republic of Poland
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie I Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Aug 16, 2021
- Subjects
- Academic Freedom
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 12.08.2021
- Case number
- 3 StR 441/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Murder, founding of a terrorist group, robbery ((versuchter)Mord, Raub, Totschlag, Gründung einer Terroristischen Vereinigung) - the defendants funded the so called NSU and committed twelve ideologically motivated murders of people of Southern European – primarily Turkish – origin or representatives of the state (police officers) between September 2000 and April 2007, the defendants had a close personal relationship and shared a racist, antisemitic and anti-state ideology.
§§ 211, 212, 22, 23, 253, 255, 251 StGB
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof
- Date of decision
- Aug 12, 2021
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Murder and Manslaughter
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Bayerischer Verfassungsgerichtshof - 11.08.2021
- Case number
- Vf. 97-IVa-20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for declaration of withdrawal from an association (Antrag auf Erklärung des Austritts aus einer Vereinigung) - the AFD parliamentary group considers the membership of the Bavarian state parliament in the Bavarian Alliance for Tolerance (Bündnis für Toleranz) to be unconstitutional, it violates the state's principle of neutrality - the alliance is committed to combating racism, intolerance and antisemitism
- Name of Court
- Bayrischer Verfassungsgerichtshof
- Date of decision
- Aug 11, 2021
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Other
- Type of Court
- Constitutional Court
- Area of Law
- Constitutional Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Nordrhein-Westfalen - 09.08.2021
- Case number
- 1 B 915/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Ban on conducting the official business of a police officer in training (Verbot der Führung der Dienstgeschäfte eines Polizeianwärters) - Concerns participation in chat groups that contain national socialist content and expose the victims of the national socialist regime, especially Jews, to ridicule - The suspensive effect (aufschiebende Wirkung) of the ejection against the prohibition order of the Federal Police Academy of February 23, 2021 is restored
§ 146 Abs. 4 Satz 6 i.V.m. Satz 1 und 3 VwGO; § 66 Satz 1 BBG
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Nordrhein-Westfalen (1. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Aug 9, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Darmstadt (1. Kammer) - 05.08.2021
- Case number
- 1 K 20/20.DA
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action against the refusal to appoint a police officer to a senior civil service position (Verpflichtungsklage gegen Ablehnung der Ernennung zur Beamten auf Probe) - concerns doubts regarding her suitability - she was part of an online chat group where antisemitic and xenophobic content is shared - the claimant participated in it and did not take a position against what was shared
BeamtStG § 22 Abs. 4; HVwVfG § 28; GG Art. 33 Abs. 2
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Darmstadt
- Date of decision
- Aug 5, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - 16.07.2021
- Case number
- I ACz 605/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a civil claim over the use of the phrase “Polish extermination camp” in an article about a Jewish Holocaust survivor, which the claimant argued distorted responsibility for Nazi crimes and violated his personal rights; the Court of Appeal in Warsaw rejected the claim on procedural grounds, holding that Polish courts lacked jurisdiction because the publication did not identify the claimant individually, emphasising that even in Holocaust related contexts involving Jewish victims, legal protection requires a direct link between the statement and the person, and that broad references to a nation are insufficient to establish individual harm.
Art. 7(2) Regulation (EU) No. 1215/2012 (Brussels I bis)
Art. 1099 §1, Art. 386 §3 Polish Code of Civil Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie I Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Jul 16, 2021
- Subjects
- General right to personality
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Greenstein v Campaign against Antisemitism – 09.07.2021
- Case number
- [2021] EWCA Civ 1006
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Libel – Publishing of articles in which the claimant is called among other things “a notorious anti-Semite; a racist prejudiced against all Jews” – the publication also referred to previous convictions of the claimant - appeal against order following the judgment of 06.11.2020 – test for malice Rehabiliation of Offenders Act 1974
- Name of Court
- Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
- Date of decision
- Jul 9, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Diana Neslen & Ors v David Evans - 08.07.2021
- Case number
- [2021] EWHC 1909 (QB) (Comm)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The subject of the proceedings is a claim brought by party members against a political party alleging unfairness in internal disciplinary investigations related to accusations of antisemitism. The claimants complained in particular about the application of an unpublished code of conduct and the continuation of proceedings under a system that had been assessed by a regulatory authority as deficient. The court dismissed the claims, finding that no actual procedural unfairness had occurred and that the individuals concerned had been given a sufficient opportunity to defend themselves - Chapter 2 Clause I.8, Chapter 6 Clause I.1.B, Chapter 2 Clause II.7 Labour Party Rule Book, Equality Act 2010, Data Protection Act 2018.
- Name of Court
- High Court Of Justice Queen's Bench Division Business And Property Courts Of England And Wales Commercial Court
- Date of decision
- Jul 8, 2021
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Israel-related Incidents
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Neslen v Evans – 08.07.2021
- Case number
- [2021] EWHC 1909 (QB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Investigations into antisemitism in the UK Labour Party – Eight claimants seek declaration that the Party’s investigations into antisemitism were unfair and in breach of contract – claims were dismissed Labour Party Rule Book 2020
- Name of Court
- High Court of Justice (Queen’s Bench Division)
- Date of decision
- Jul 8, 2021
- Subjects
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
- Constitutional Law
Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf - 05.07.2021
- Case number
- 35 K 581/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Confiscication order in the context of disciplinary action against a police officer (Anordnung von Beschlagnahmungen im Kontext von Disziplinarverfahren gegen einen Polizeibeamten) - the plaintiff had shared nationalsocialist content online - the confiscation is declared to serves to further clarify the facts of the case, e.g. whether he has more relevant documents in his possession
§ 27 LDG NRW; §§ 33 Abs.1 S.3, 34 S. 3, 47 Abs. 1 BeamtStG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf
- Date of decision
- Jul 5, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Okręgowy w Białymstoku - 30.06.2021
- Case number
- III K 131/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Incitement (Podżeganie do nienawiści) - The judgement relates to a public gathering where antisemitic slogans were chanted - The courts found that the statements promote hatred and are contrary to penal laws and international agreements prohibiting hate speech and discrimination
Art. 24 ust. 1, Art. 24 ust. 3 Krajowy Rejestr Karny Kodeks postępowania karnego; § 2, § 3, art. 17 § 1 pkt 9, art. 49 § 1, art. 55 § 1, art. 55 § 4, art. 327 § 1, art. 616 § 1 pkt 2, art. 624 § 1, art. 632 pkt 1, art. 633, art. 640, art. 640 § 1, art. 640 § 2 Kodeks postępowania karnego; art. 11 § 2, Art. 11 § 3, Art. 48, Art. 53 § 1, Art. 57(a) § 1Art. 57(a) § 2, Art. 69 § 1, Art. 69 § 2, Art. 69 § 4, Art. 70 § 1, Art. 72 § 1 pkt 1, Art. 115 § 12, Art. 115 § 21, Art. 119 § 1, Art. 190 § 1, Art. 256, Art. 256 § 1 Kodeks karny
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy w Białymstoku III Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Jun 30, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie - 29.06.2021
- Case number
- VII SA/Wa 953/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns refusal to approve a construction project on land identified as a former Jewish cemetery and Holocaust related site; the administrative court upheld the decision, holding that conservation authorities could lawfully refuse consent to protect the historical and cultural value of the site, emphasising that its status as part of Jewish heritage and a place of memory justified protection regardless of the investor’s claims, and that such proceedings cannot be used to challenge the inclusion of the land in the heritage register.
Art. 39(3) Building Law
Art. 89, Art. 93 Act on the Protection of Monuments
Art. 151 Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie
- Date of decision
- Jun 29, 2021
- Subjects
- Attack on Jewish Places of Worship
- Cemetery Desecration
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberlandesgericht Karlsruhe - 23.06.2021
- Case number
- 6 U 190/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Free speech, general personality rights (Meinungsfreiheit, Allgemeine Persönlichkeitsrechte) - A foundation alleges that a former politician of the AfD-party is an "avowed antisemite and holocaust apologist" and is sued - the court rejects the appeal by the claimant, the former politician - court goes into detail defining antisemitism
Art. 1 Abs. 1, 5 Abs. 1, 19 Abs. 3 GG; §§ 823, 1004 BGB
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Karlsruhe (6. Zivilsenat)
- Date of decision
- Jun 23, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
- Constitutional Law
Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care v General Pharmaceutical Council - 23.06.2021
- Case number
- [2021] EWHC 1692 (Admin)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Disciplinary proceedings against a pharmacist – he had publicly stated at a rally on Al Quds day in London that the Grenfell fire was also caused by Zionist interests in the Tory party – he has on many other occasions made similar remarks – concerns question whether the comments are offensive and/or antisemitic and whether he is fit to practise pharmacy – reference the the IHRA when determining whether antisemitism was at play
Rule 31(10) General Pharmaceutical Council Rules 2010,
- Name of Court
- High Court of Justice (Queen’s Bench Division)/Administrative Court
- Date of decision
- Jun 23, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Israel-related Incidents
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Hessischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof Kassel - 22.06.2021
- Case number
- 26 A 1314/19.D
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal of a Police Officer for Breach of Loyalty Duty (Entfernung aus dem Beamtenverhältnis)-the officer had possessed and distributed right-wing extremist music and clothing. The court regarded this as a violation of the constitutional duty of loyalty, which irreparably destroyed the trust essential to the public service relationship—even in the private sphere. The officer’s arguments, including claims of ignorance regarding the content, were dismissed.
§§ 61 Abs. 1 S. 1, S. 3, 77 Abs. 1 BBG; §§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 5, 10, 13 Abs. 1, Abs. 2, 22 Abs. 3, 60 Abs. 2 S. 2 Nr. 1 BDG; § 130 StGB
- Name of Court
- Hessischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof Kassel
- Date of decision
- Jun 22, 2021
- Subjects
- Anti-constitutional activities
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Bundesverwaltungsgericht - 17.06.2021
- Case number
- 2 B 56.20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Dismissal from public office of a police officer also due to holocaust denial (Entfernung aus Dienstverhältnis auch wegen holocaustleugnender Aussagen eines Polizeibeamten) - the defendant appeals unsuccessfully against the decision of the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg not to grant leave to appeal (Nichtzulassungsbeschwerde)
§§ 86, 108 Abs.1 S.1, 132 Abs.2 Nr.3 VwGO; §§ 58 Abs.1, 65 BDG
- Name of Court
- Bundesverwaltungsgericht (2. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Jun 17, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberlandesgericht Hamm - 01.06.2021
- Case number
- 3 RVs 19/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung) - The defendant gave a speech at a birthday party of a convicted Holocaust denier - listeners claim he insinuated that the Holocaust was an invention of the Jews - concerns the question of what constitutes a denial of the Holocaust - the defendant's appeal is unsuccessful
§ 130 StGB
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Hamm (3. Strafsenat)
- Date of decision
- Jun 1, 2021
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Bundesverwaltungsgericht - 28.05.2021
- Case number
- 2 VR 1.21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Expulsion from public service (Entlassung aus Dientsposten) - disciplinary proceedings against an intelligence officer (BND) - allegation that the applicant had breached the duty to behave with respect and trust in the service, including for statements trivializing the Holocaust - concerns question whether the servant can be excluded from promotion procedures while disciplinary proceedings are ongoing
§ 61 Abs. 1 Satz 3 BBG; Art. 33 Abs. 2 GG i.V.m. Art. 19 Abs. 4 Satz 1 GG
- Name of Court
- Bundesverwaltungsgericht
- Date of decision
- May 28, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
- Constitutional Law
Cour d'appel de Paris - 19.05.2021
- Case number
- n° 20/06191
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Freedom of Speech, Conspiracy theories (liberté d'expression, théories du complot) - The convicted person published defamatory statements about the Jewish community in an interview on his website - There was talk of a “Jewish power” using migrants as a means to divide French society and provoke a civil war - The appeal confirms the guilt
Art. 23, al. 1, Art. 24, al. 7, Art. 42, Art. 53 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse; Art. 131-26 du code pénal; Art. 6 III de la loi du 21 juin 2004 pour la confiance dans l'économie numérique
- Name of Court
- Cour d'appel de Paris (Pôle 2 – Chambre 7)
- Date of decision
- May 19, 2021
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie - 12.05.2021
- Case number
- II SAB/Wa 675/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a complaint about administrative inactivity in a request for access to documents related to exhumation of human remains found near a Jewish cemetery; the court dismissed the complaint, holding that there was no inactivity because the requested materials were part of an ongoing administrative case file and thus not subject to public information rules, emphasising that access must be sought under administrative procedure provisions, even in matters involving sensitive issues such as the protection of Jewish burial sites and remains.
Art. 1, Art. 6, Art. 16 Act on Access to Public Information
Art. 73 Code of Administrative Procedure
Art. 151 Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie
- Date of decision
- May 12, 2021
- Subjects
- Cemetery Desecration
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Berlin - 10.05.2021
- Case number
- VG 5 L 88/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Application for interim relief after dismissal of a probationary police officer (Antrag auf Gewährung vorläufigen Rechtsschutzes nach Entlassung eines Polizeibeamten auf Probe) - Concerns question whether the posting of a picture trivialising the Holocaust in a group chat of police officers justifies the immediate dismissal of a police trainee from his position as a probationary officer
§ 80 Abs. 5 S. 1 VwGO; § 80 Abs. 3 S. 1 VwGO; § 23 Abs. 4 BeamtStG; § 34 S. 3 BeamtStG; § 101 S. 2 Bln LBG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Berlin (5. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- May 10, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verfassungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg - 30.04.2021
- Case number
- 1 GR 5/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Call to order in the state parliament (Ordnungsruf in Landtagssitzung ) - the plaintiff shouted during a session of parliament that the AfD speaker was an antisemite - this was followed by a call to order, against which the court proceedings (Organstreitverfahren) were addressed
Art. 27 Abs. 3 LV
- Name of Court
- Verfassungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg
- Date of decision
- Apr 30, 2021
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Insult of State Officials
- Type of Court
- Constitutional Court
- Area of Law
- Constitutional Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie- 30.04.2021
- Case number
- VII SA/Wa 2401/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Judicial review of a physician’s temporary suspension based on conduct involving antisemitic and Holocaust-related rhetoric. The case concerned the interim suspension of a doctor following repeated offensive communications invoking antisemitic tropes, Holocaust imagery, and racial hierarchies, combined with conduct raising concerns for patient safety. The court held that this pattern justified a reasonable suspicion of impaired fitness to practise and upheld the preventive suspension as a proportionate measure to protect public health.
Art. 12 § 1, § 3, § 4, Art. 57 § 2 Act of 5 December 1996 on the Professions of Physician and Dentist
Art. 25 point 4, Art. 40 § 4 Act of 2 December 2009 on Medical Chambers
Art. 7, Art. 10 § 2, Art. 77 § 1, Art. 80, Art. 107 § 1 point 6 and § 3, Art. 108 § 1, Art. 138 § 1 point 1 Code of Administrative Procedure
Art. 151 Act of 30 August 2002 – Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
Art. 15zzs⁴ Act of 2 March 2020 on Special Measures Related to the Prevention, Counteracting and Combating of COVID-19
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie
- Date of decision
- Apr 30, 2021
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - 21.04.2021
- Case number
- II AKa 212/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Criminal liability for antisemitic hate speech disseminated online. The accused published public social-media statements relying on classic antisemitic stereotypes and dehumanising Jews as a group. The appellate court held that the content constituted criminal hate speech, not protected opinion, emphasising the heightened harm of publicly accessible online antisemitic expressions. The conviction was upheld, reaffirming that freedom of expression does not extend to speech that stigmatizes Jews on ethnic or national grounds.
Art. 119 § 1, Art. 257 Criminal Code
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie II Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Apr 21, 2021
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Corbyn v Millett – 20.04.2021
- Case number
- [2021] EWCA Civ 567
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Libel – Concerns an interview – concerns an interview by the BBC in 2018 with the former leader of the Labour Party – reference to a statement in Parliament in 2013 which was described by some as antisemitic – the claimant was one of the addressees of the statement that singled him out as a “disruptive” and “abusive” “Zionist” – appeal unsuccessful
Sections 1(1) & 3 Defamation Act 2013
- Name of Court
- Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
- Date of decision
- Apr 20, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - V Wydział Cywilny - 09.04.2021
- Case number
- V ACa 24/21
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Freedom of expression (Wolności wyrażania opinii) - The case deals with a claim to remove posts and publish a correction - The claimant's picture was distributed without attribution and comments portrayed him as antisemitic - The court dismissed the claim and considered the publications to be an exercise of freedom of expression and justified criticism
Art. 23, Art. 24 § 1 Kodeks cywilny
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - V Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Apr 9, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Verwaltungsgerichtshof Bayern - 09.04.2021
- Case number
- 16a DC 21.440
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Revocation of a conviscation order (Aufhebung von Beschlagnahmeanordnung) - Concerns the question whether the home of a police officer who is allegedly connected to QAnon is searched - court discusses the antisemitic dimension of the QAnon movement
§ 34 Satz 3 BeamtStG, Art. 65 Abs. 1 BayDG i.V.m. §146 Abs. 1 VwGO
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgerichtshof Bayern
- Date of decision
- Apr 9, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Conspiracy Theories
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Oberverwaltungsgericht Münster - 25.03.2021
- Case number
- 6 B 2055/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action against ban on conducting official duties (Verbot der Führung von Dienstgeschäften) - Holocaust trivialisation and other antisemitic content in online chats of a police officer in training - the police officer in training challenged the ban successfully
§ 39 BeamtstG
- Name of Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht Münster (6. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Mar 25, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Verwaltungsgericht Freiburg - 23.03.2021
- Case number
- 3 K 2383/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action against the dismissal of a police officer in training (Anfechtungsklage gegen Entlassung aus Beamtenverhältnis) - concerns doubts about the character suitability of the plaintiff, a policeofficer in training due to his largely passive membership in an internal police WhatsApp group in which antisemitic, racist, violence-trivializing and glorifying as well as misogynistic comments and pictures are shared
Art. 33 Abs. 5 GG; §§ 7 Abs. 1 Nr. 2, 23 Abs. 4, 33 Abs. 1 S. 3, 34 S. 3 BeamtStG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Freiburg
- Date of decision
- Mar 23, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Krakowie - 23.03.2021
- Case number
- I ACa 808/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
National identity (Tożsamość narodowa jako dobro osobiste) - Judgement concerns the portrayal of Polish soldiers in a movie - The plaintiffs demanded apologies for the alleged denigration of their national identity and accusations regarding historical events related to the Second World War - The plaintiffs claimed, that the film portrayed the soldiers as antisemites and nationalists and made unjustified accusations against them regarding their activities during the Holocaust - The court ruling criticised the one-sided portrayal of Polish soldiers in the movie and obliged the producers to clarify and clarify certain historical facts
Art. 23, art. 24 Kodeks cywilny
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Krakowie - I Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Mar 23, 2021
- Subjects
- Artistic Freedom
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Oldknow v Evans - 21.03.2021
- Case number
- [2021] EWHC 1028 (QB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerned an application for Norwich Pharmacal and/or pre-action disclosure against a political party in order to identify those responsible for leaking an internal report dealing with the party’s handling of antisemitism complaints. The antisemitism-related core lay in the alleged defamatory and privacy-infringing content of the leaked report, which attributed responsibility for the “antisemitism crisis” within the party to certain officials. The Court refused to order disclosure of the identities of persons the party “reasonably believed” to be responsible for the leak, holding that the Norwich Pharmacal jurisdiction does not extend to requiring a respondent to name individuals it merely suspects, particularly where there is a real risk that innocent persons might be identified. The Court emphasised the exceptional nature of the jurisdiction and the need to avoid speculative identification of potential wrongdoers. Norwich Pharmacal Co v Customs and Excise Commissioners [1974] AC 133; CPR 31.16; Limitation Act 1980, s. 32A
- Name of Court
- High Court Of Justice King's Bench Divison Media And Communications List
- Date of decision
- Mar 1, 2021
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Discrimination
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Ware v Paddy French - 24.02.2021
- Case number
- [2022] EWHC 3030 (KB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The subject of the proceedings is a defamation lawsuit brought by a journalist against an author concerning an article about a television documentary on antisemitism within a political party. The core of the dispute concerns allegations of “unprofessional journalism” and the deliberate misrepresentation of facts with the aim of influencing election outcomes. The court held that the statements in question must be classified as defamatory statements of fact - Clause 5.12 Ofcom Broadcasting Code, Common Law (Libel), Defamation Act 2013.
- Name of Court
- High Court Of Justice King's Bench Divison Media And Communications List
- Date of decision
- Feb 24, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Landgericht Koblenz (9. Zivilkammer) - 22.02.2021
- Case number
- 9 O 80/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Free speech (Meinungsfreiheit), Damages (Schadensersatz) for allegations of antisemitism - concerns a writer on Wikipedia who has contributed to texts about the Arab-Israeli conflict, German Jews and politicians - the writer has described many persons and also the claimant as antizionist and antiamerican - correction of the Rubrum of the judgment
§ 319 Abs. 1 ZPO
- Name of Court
- Landgericht Koblenz (9. Zivilkammer)
- Date of decision
- Feb 22, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Restitution
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Truppendienstgericht Nord - 18.02.2021
- Case number
- N7 VL81/19
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Soldier is removed from employment (Entlassung) - Behavior of a soldier that gives the impression of a high level of identification with the so-called Reich-Citizen's Movement (Reichsbürger) and thus of an anti-constitutional attitude - removal from service
§ 17 Abs. 3 S. 2, § 38 Abs. 1 WDO
- Name of Court
- Truppendienstgericht Nord (7. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Feb 18, 2021
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Conspiracy Theories
- Type of Court
- Special Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Cour d'appel de Paris - 18.02.2021
- Case number
- n° 20/00783
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Following the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli military response, the daily newspaper Ouest-France published a front page with the headline "Gaza under bombs" (Gaza sous les bombes). On October 10, 2023, an anonymous user under the handle @chacha28011 posted a tweet featuring a portrait of the plaintiff, [C]-[S] [W], alongside the journal's front page. The tweet stated that [W] "assumes his islamo-leftism and his most abject antisemitism" and referred to him and the staff as "traitors in the pay of the Foreigner" and "journaleux". M. [W] sought a court order for X to delete the tweet, provide the user's identification data, and pay damages. While the court acknowledged the remarks were "outrageous" (outranciers), it ruled that they did not constitute a manifest abuse of freedom of expression.
l'article 40 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881 et vu les articles 121-6 à 132-19 du code pénal.
- Name of Court
- Cour d'appel de Paris
- Date of decision
- Feb 18, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main - 09.02.2021
- Case number
- 16 W 87/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Free speech, general personality rights (Meinungsfreiheit, Allgemeines Persönlichkeitrecht) - the applicant lodges an appeal against a decision by the Frankfurt Regional Court that rejected the requested injunction (Unterlassung) concerning the statement that the applicant is an anitsemite - the complaint is dismissed, his general right of personality was not found to be violated
§ 1004 Abs. 1 Satz 2 i.V.m. § 823 Abs. 1 BGB; Art. 2 Abs. 1 iVm Art. 1 Abs. 1 GG, Art 5 Abs. 1 GG
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main (16. Zivilsenat)
- Date of decision
- Feb 9, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Bundesgerichtshof - 09.02.2021
- Case number
- NStZ-RR 2021, 136; AK 3 und 4/21
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Decision on the defendant's continued detention for participation in a criminal organization (Entscheidung über die Haftfortdauer des Beklagten wegen Beteiligung in einer kriminellen Vereinigung) - the defendant created an online forum with unknown accomplices on which anti-Semitic and inciting ideas are shared - detention is to continue.
StGB §129 Abs. 1 S. 1 Alt. 1, Alt. 2, Abs. 2, Abs. 5 S. 1, S. 2, §129a Abs. 1, Abs. 4, §130 Abs. 1 Nr. 1, Nr. 2, Abs. 2 Nr. 1 lit. a, lit. b, Abs. 3
- Name of Court
- Bundesgerichtshof (3. Strafsenat)
- Date of decision
- Feb 9, 2021
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris - 04.02.2021
- Case number
- 20023000020, UEJF et a. c/ E. Zemmour
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Holocaust denial (Contestation de crimes contre l’humanité) – The Paris Judicial Court acquitted a French politician, prosecuted for declaring that “Pétain saved the French Jews,” holding that although the statement suggested Pétain had protected Jews, its spontaneous nature in a heated debate context excluded any deliberate intent to deny or minimize the genocide.
Art. 24 bis Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse.
- Name of Court
- Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris
- Date of decision
- Feb 4, 2021
- Subjects
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Corbyn v Evans – 27.01.2021
- Case number
- [2021] EWHC 130 (QB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Investigations into antisemitism in the Labour Party – following the publication of a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission the former leader of the Party argued on Facebook that the “scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons” resulting in the suspension from the Party pending an internal investigation – concerns question whether he has violated Labour Party rules
Civil Procedure Rules 1998/3132 r. 31.16(3)(a) to (d)
- Name of Court
- High Court of Justice (Queen’s Bench Division)
- Date of decision
- Jan 27, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sozialgericht Mainz - 26.01.2021
- Case number
- S 3 KA 13/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Revocation of a statutory dental care licence (Entziehung einer Lizenz zur vertragszahnärztlichen Versorgung) - a Jewish dentist repeatedly clashes with his Association of Statutory Health Dentists and accuses them of antisemitism and racism - the association revokes the dentist's license to provide statutory health dental care against which he takes legal action.
SGG §105 Abs. 1, §136 Abs. 2 S. 1, §197a, SGB V §95 Abs. 6, §96 Abs. 4 S. 1, §97 SGB X §40
- Name of Court
- Sozialgericht Mainz (3. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Jan 26, 2021
- Subjects
- Refusal to License a Business
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Najwyższy - 19.01.2021
- Case number
- III KK 70/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Criminal proceedings concerning commemorative expression opposing antisemitism and recalling the Holocaust. An artist was prosecuted for publicly displaying the message “I miss you, Jew” as part of an artistic project commemorating Jewish communities exterminated during the Holocaust. The Supreme Court quashed the conviction, holding that the expression was not antisemitic but a gesture of remembrance and resistance to antisemitism, and that penalising such conduct would constitute an unjustified interference with freedom of expression and artistic freedom.
Art. 1 § 1, Art. 63a § 1 Criminal Petty Offences Code
Art. 537 § 2 Code of Criminal Procedure
Art. 112 Code of Procedure in Petty Offences
Art. 54 ust. 1, Art. 73 Constitution of the Republic of Poland
Art. 10 European Convention on Human Rights
Art. 19 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
Art. 11 and Art. 13 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
- Name of Court
- Sąd Najwyższy - Izba Karna
- Date of decision
- Jan 19, 2021
- Subjects
- Antijudaist Iconography
- Artistic Freedom
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Cour d'appel Paris pôle 2 - 7e ch. - 14.01.2021
- Case number
- n° 20/01335
- Country
- France
- Case Description
On December 29, 2015, the defendant posted a message on the Twitter account "Lesquen2017" stating: "Centered on rhythm, negro music addresses the reptilian brain". The defendant argued that the term "negro music" (musique nègre) was not pejorative and that his analysis was a scientific "judgment of knowledge" based on Professor Paul MacLean’s "triune brain" theory, which identifies the reptilian brain as the seat of instincts. The court rejected the defendant's defense that his remarks were purely scientific or objective. By specifically linking "negro music" to the "reptilian brain," the defendant chose a formulation intended to be contemptuous toward a group defined by their race. The defendant is ordered to pay a symbolic one Euro (1 €) in damages to each of the following associations: UEJF, J'accuse!, MRAP, LICRA, Avocats Sans Frontières, and SOS Racisme.
articles 23, 29 alinéa 2 et 33 alinéa 3 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse
- Name of Court
- Cour d'appel Paris
- Date of decision
- Jan 14, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Landgericht Koblenz (9. Zivilkammer) - 14.01.2021
- Case number
- 9 O 80/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Free speech (Meinungsfreiheit), Damages (Schadensersatz) for allegations of antisemitismus - concerns a writer on Wikipedia who has contributed to texts about the Arab-Israeli conflict, German Jews and politicians - the writer has described many persons and also the claimant as antizionist and antiamerican
BGB § 253, § 823; GG Art. 1 Abs. 1, Art. 2 Abs. 1, Art. 5 Abs. 1
- Name of Court
- Landgericht Koblenz (9. Zivilkammer)
- Date of decision
- Jan 14, 2021
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Oberlandesgericht Naumburg - 21.12.2020
- Case number
- 1 St 1/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Attempted murder and murder, (attempted) aggravated robbery, negligent bodily harm, endangering traffic (versuchter Mord und Mord, räubersiche Erpressung, gefährliche Körperverletzung, Gefährdung des Straßenverkehrs) - Attempted armed attack on the synagogue in Halle - the perpetrator primarily intended to target Jews as "the root of all evil" with his attack - the court orders indeterminate preventive detention for the defendant (Sicherheitsverwahrung)
§§ 211, 212, 223, 224, 250, 253 StGB
- Name of Court
- Oberlandesgericht Naumburg
- Date of decision
- Dec 21, 2020
- Subjects
- Murder and Manslaughter
- Pogroms and Violent Attacks on Persons
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny we Wrocławiu - 18.12.2020
- Case number
- IV SAB/Wr 423/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Access to information concerning Jewish cemeteries and sites of Holocaust-related martyrdom. The applicant sought information from a Jewish religious community on the location and funding of Jewish cemeteries, invoking their historical link to antisemitic persecution and public oversight. The court dismissed the complaint, holding that despite their cultural and historical significance, religious communities maintaining Jewish cemeteries do not perform public tasks and are not subject to public-information duties absent proven use of public funds.
Art. 1(1), Art. 4(1)(5), Art. 6(1)(5)(d), Art. 13(1) Act of 6 September 2001 on Access to Public Information
Art. 61(1) and (2), Art. 25(3) Constitution of the Republic of Poland
Art. 52(1) and (2), Art. 119(4), Art. 151 Law of 30 August 2002 on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
Art. 9(1), Art. 9(2)(2), Art. 11(1) Act of 17 May 1989 on Guarantees of Freedom of Conscience and Religion
Art. 2(2) Act of 31 January 1959 on Cemeteries and Burial of the Deceased
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny we Wrocławiu
- Date of decision
- Dec 18, 2020
- Subjects
- Freedom of Religion
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Cour d’appel de Paris - 17.12.2020
- Case number
- n° 20/00712
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The case concerned a rap video titled "Le Rap des Gilets Jaunes" posted on January 21, 2019, on the website Egalité et Réconciliation. The civil parties filed a direct summons against the defendant, B., for his role as director of the publication. The video contained controversial lyrics and images, including: Phrases like "The French can't take any more of these parasites" and "It is only by kicking out the Rothschilds that we can save France". Visuals showing the name "Rothschild" and photographs of personalities such as Jacques Attali, Bernard-Henri Lévy, and Patrick Drahi being thrown into flames. In the first instance, the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Bobigny (September 19, 2019) convicted B. of all charges, sentencing him to 24 months in prison (with 6 months suspended) and a fine of 45,000 euros, while awarding significant damages to the civil parties. B. and the Public Prosecutor appealed the decision.
The core question was whether the video, through its imagery and lyrics targeting specific Jewish individuals in finance and media, constituted a criminal provocation to hatred or an insult against the Jewish community as a whole. The court concluded that it could not be proven that the remarks targeted the Jewish community in its entirety, as the individuals depicted were targeted for their positions in finance, media, or politics which "can divide public opinion".
les articles 29 alinéa 1 et 32, alinéa 2, de la loi du 29 juillet 1881
- Name of Court
- Cour d’appel de Paris
- Date of decision
- Dec 17, 2020
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf - 15.12.2020
- Case number
- L 2370/20
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Action against ban on conducting official duties (Verbot der Führung von Dienstgeschäften) - Holocaust trivialisation and other antisemitic content in online chats of a police officer in training - suspensive effect is denied
§ 80 Abs. 3 Satz 1 VwGO, § 39 S 1 BeamtStG
- Name of Court
- Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf (2. Kammer)
- Date of decision
- Dec 15, 2020
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie - 14.12.2020
- Case number
- I SA/Wa 1671/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns refusal to initiate proceedings on restitution of property allegedly affected by post war agrarian reform, where the applicant invoked Holocaust related arguments including the so called Act 447. The court rejected this, holding that such references have no legal relevance in Polish law, and emphasised that claims connected to Jewish property losses must be based on proven legal succession and domestic legal grounds, not on broader historical or political narratives, thereby preventing the misuse of Holocaust related discourse in property disputes.
Art. 61a § 1, Art. 28, Art. 7, Art. 77 § 1, Art. 80, Art. 107 § 3 Code of Administrative Procedure
Art. 151, Art. 134 § 1, Art. 119 point 3, Art. 120 Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts
Art. 1025 § 2, Art. 1027 Civil Code
Art. 2 Decree of 6 September 1944 on Agrarian Reform
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny
- Date of decision
- Dec 14, 2020
- Subjects
- Restitution
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Conseil d'État (3ème et 8ème chambres) - 11.12.2020
- Case number
- n° 426483
- Country
- France
- Case Description
In March 2015, the Mayor of Chalon-sur-Saône issued a press release announcing the end of a 31-year practice of offering substitute menus whenever pork was served in municipal school canteens. The decision was framed as a "return to the principle of secularism," arguing that religious requirements should not be considered in public services. The "Ligue de défense judiciaire des musulmans" (LDJM) and several individuals challenged this decision. The court ruled that Local authorities managing school catering are under no obligation to provide differentiated meals based on religious convictions, and users have no right to demand them. Furthermore, neither the principle of secularism nor the principle of neutrality of public services prohibits local authorities from choosing to offer such substitute meals. A decision to terminate a long-standing practice of substitute menus cannot be legally justified solely by invoking the principle of secularism if no specific organizational or financial constraints are demonstrated.
Article 1 of the Constitution; Law of December 9, 1905 (Separation of Churches and State); Article L. 141-2 of the Education Code
- Name of Court
- Conseil d'État
- Date of decision
- Dec 11, 2020
- Subjects
- Other
- Workplace and labour issues
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny - 09.12.2020
- Case number
- II OSK 1453/18
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Inclusion of a former Jewish cemetery in the register of protected monuments (Wpis byłego cmentarza żydowskiego do rejestru zabytków) – The court concluded that there is a public interest in the inclusion of the cemetery in the register of protected monuments, as it helps to preserve the memory of the Jewish community that lived in the town – It was found that the cemetery has an undeniable historical and symbolic value and should therefore be legally protected in order to preserve its integrity.
Art. 3 pkt 1, Art. 9 ust. 1 Ochrona zabytków i opieka nad zabytkami, Art. 30 ust. 1, Art. 30 ust. 2, Art. 32 ust. 4 Stosunek Państwa do gmin wyznaniowych żydowskich w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
- Name of Court
- Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny
- Date of decision
- Dec 9, 2020
- Subjects
- Cemetery Desecration
- Other
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny - 09.12.2020
- Case number
- II OSK 1453/18
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Inclusion of a former Jewish cemetery in the register of protected monuments (Wpis byłego cmentarza żydowskiego do rejestru zabytków) – The court concluded that there is a public interest in the inclusion of the cemetery in the register of protected monuments, as it helps to preserve the memory of the Jewish community that lived in the town in question in the past and was murdered during the Holocaust – It was found that the cemetery has an undeniable historical and symbolic value and should therefore be legally protected in order to preserve its integrity.
Art. 3 pkt 1, Art. 9 ust. 1 Ochrona zabytków i opieka nad zabytkami, Art. 30 ust. 1, Art. 30 ust. 2, Art. 32 ust. 4 Stosunek Państwa do gmin wyznaniowych żydowskich w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
- Name of Court
- Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny
- Date of decision
- Dec 9, 2020
- Subjects
- Other
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Katowicach - 23.11.2020
- Case number
- V ACa 499/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns a prisoner who alleged religious discrimination based on Judaism, claiming that prison authorities restricted his religious practices, including diet and observance of the Sabbath; the court found no evidence of antisemitism or discrimination, emphasizing that the authorities acted on neutral legal grounds and that the claimant failed to demonstrate any causal link between the measures taken and his Jewish faith, confirming that subjective perceptions of unequal treatment are insufficient without objective proof.
Art. 23, Art. 24, Art. 448 Civil Code
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Katowicach V Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Nov 23, 2020
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Religion
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Greenstein v Campaign against Antisemitism – 06.11.2020
- Case number
- [2020] EWHC 2951 (QB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Libel – Publishing of articles in which the claimant is called among other things “a notorious anti-Semite; a racist prejudiced against all Jews” – entitlement to summary judgment and more
Data Protection Act 1998, Defamation Act 2013
- Name of Court
- High Court of Justice (Queen’s Bench Division)
- Date of decision
- Nov 6, 2020
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - 6.11.2020
- Case number
- V ACa 417/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Civil liability for violation of personal rights arising from antisemitic statements. A Jewish claimant brought a civil action against an individual who publicly disseminated antisemitic stereotypes and conspiracy narratives portraying Jews as a hostile group. The courts held that such expressions constituted unlawful antisemitic hate speech, infringed dignity and reputation, and were not protected by freedom of expression, affirming civil-law protection against antisemitism as a violation of personal rights.
Art. 23, Art. 24 § 1, Art. 448 Civil Code
Art. 31 § 3, Art. 54 Constitution of the Republic of Poland
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie V Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Nov 6, 2020
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Discrimination
- General right to personality
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Kielcach - 07.10.2020
- Case number
- IISA/Ke 497/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Discrimination/application for a living allowance (Dyskryminacja/Wniosek o zasiłek na pokrycie kosztów utrzymania) - Refusal of an allowance for living expenses - The refusal was based on the fact that the applicant's income exceeded the income criterion and that he spent a significant part of his income on legal support - The applicant accused the authorities of antisemitic motives - No evidence of antisemitic motives.
Art. 7, Art. 127 § 2, Art. 138 § 1 pkt 1 Kodeks postępowania administracyjnego; Art. 3 § 1, Art. 119 pkt 2, Art. 134 § 1, Art. 145 § 1, Art. 145 § 2, Art. 151; Prawo o postępowaniu przed sądami administracyjnymi; Art. 2 ust. 1, Art. 8 ust. 1 pkt 1, Art. 39 ust. 1, Art. 41 pkt 1 Pomoc
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Kielcach
- Date of decision
- Oct 7, 2020
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Conseil d’État 2ème et 7ème chambres - 25.09.2020
- Case number
- n° 437524
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The plaintiffs, representing fairground workers and travelers, sought the annulment of Decree No. 99-778 of September 10, 1999, and the Prime Minister’s refusal to repeal it. This decree established a commission to compensate victims of property seizures (spoliations) carried out under anti-Semitic legislation in force during the Occupation. The plaintiffs argued that the decree was discriminatory because it excluded other victims of spoliation during the same period, specifically Roma/Sinti (Tsiganes) and travelers. The central issue was whether limiting the commission's scope to victims of anti-Semitic laws violated the principle of equality. The Court held that while various categories of people suffered spoliation during the Occupation, those targeted by anti-Semitic persecutions were subject to a policy of systematic extermination. This unique and specific historical situation justified the creation of a specialized compensation mechanism limited to that group. Consequently, the Court ruled that the principle of equality was not violated.
le décret n° 99-778 du 10 septembre 1999; article L. 243-2 du code des relations entre le public et l'administration; articles 2 et 17 de la Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen; Principe d'égalité
- Name of Court
- Conseil d’État
- Date of decision
- Sep 25, 2020
- Subjects
- Compensation
- Stolen Art
- Type of Court
- Constitutional Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Najwyższy - 22.09.2020
- Case number
- I CSK 632/18
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Liability for violation of personal rights (Odpowiedzialność za naruszenie dóbr osobistych) - Concerns whethr personality rights were violated by an online article and comments on a website - In an article a person was accused of antisemitism - Web portal must publish an apology.
Art. 5, Art. 24, Art. 24 § 1 Kodeks cywilny; Art. 321 § 1 Kodeks postępowania cywilnego; Art. 14 ust. 1 Świadczenie usług drogą elektroniczną
- Name of Court
- Sąd Najwyższy - Izba Cywilna
- Date of decision
- Sep 22, 2020
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - 29.09.2020
- Case number
- V ACa 61/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Protection of personal rights, insult (Ochrona dóbr osobistych, obraza) - A blogger was ordered to pay court costs after insulting a politician as a ‘szmalcownik’. The term ‘Szmalcownik’ refers to a person who blackmailed Jews during the Nazi occupation by demanding ransom and threatening to denounce them or hand them over to the Gestapo - The court ruled that the term violated the politician's dignity.
Art. 23, Art. 24, Art. 24 § 1 kodeks cywilny; Art. 47 Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej; Art. 10 ust. 1 Konwencja o ochronie praw człowieka i podstawowych wolności. Rzym.1950.11.04.
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - V Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Sep 22, 2020
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
B C and Others v Chief Constable Police Service of Scotland and Others – 28.06.2020
- Case number
- [2020] CSIH 61
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Incitement, right of privacy – the petitioners are police constables against whom misconduct proceedings were initiated after sexist, racist and antisemitic Whatsapp private messages were found – case concerns the right of privacy in the common law of Scotland – the reclaiming motion is refused
Police Service for Scotland Regulations 2013, Art. 8 ECHR
- Name of Court
- Court of Session, Inner House
- Date of decision
- Sep 16, 2020
- Subjects
- Actions against or dismissal of public servants
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Najwyższy - 4.09.2020
- Case number
- I CSK 67/20
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Protection of personal rights in a press dispute involving comparison to Nazi antisemitic propaganda. The claimant challenged a publication that compared her public statements to Nazi-era antisemitic rhetoric used against Jews. The courts held that such comparisons carry an exceptional historical and moral burden and may unlawfully infringe personal dignity, ordering a public apology. The Supreme Court refused to hear the cassation appeal, confirming that invoking Nazi antisemitic propaganda can exceed the limits of permissible criticism.
Art. 23, Art. 24 Civil Code
Art. 398⁹ § 1–2, Art. 398⁴ § 2, Art. 98 § 1 Code of Civil Procedure
Art. 10 § 4 point 2, Art. 2 point 5 Regulation of the Minister of Justice of 22 October 2015 on Attorneys’ Fees
- Name of Court
- Sąd Najwyższy - Izba Cywilna
- Date of decision
- Sep 4, 2020
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- General right to personality
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Bundessozialgericht - 04.09.2020
- Case number
- B 5 R 106/20 B
- Country
- Germany: Federal Republic of Germany (1949-today)
- Case Description
Compensation, granting of a pension (Entschädigung, Gewährung einer Regelaltersrente) - plaintiff claims having been forced to work in the Budapest ghetto - the court finds the plaintiff's complaint inadmissible
§ 73 Abs 4 SGG, ZRBG
- Name of Court
- Bundessozialgericht (5. Senat)
- Date of decision
- Sep 4, 2020
- Subjects
- Compensation
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Białymstoku - 4.09.2020
- Case number
- I ACa 649/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Protection of personal rights in a dispute between a journalist and a foundation combating antisemitism. A journalist published articles questioning the credibility and integrity of a foundation engaged in countering racism and antisemitism. The Court of Appeal held that, although such organisations are subject to public criticism, journalists must exercise special diligence and cannot present unverified insinuations as facts. Finding that the article titles implied misconduct without sufficient basis, the court ordered publication of an apology for infringing the foundation’s good name.
Art. 23, Art. 24 § 1, Art. 43 Civil Code
Art. 12 ust. 1 pkt 1–2 Press Law Act
Art. 386 § 1, Art. 385 Code of Civil Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Białymstoku I Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Sep 4, 2020
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Tribunal judiciaire de Paris - 18.08.2020
- Case number
- P19073000884
- Country
- France
- Case Description
Freedom of Speech, Conspiracy theories (liberté d'expression, théories du complot) - The convicted person published defamatory statements about the Jewish community in an interview on his website - There was talk of a “Jewish power” using migrants as a means to divide French society and provoke a civil war
Art. 23, al. 1, Art. 24, al. 7, Art. 42, Art. 53 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse; Art. 131-26 du code pénal; Art. 6 III de la loi du 21 juin 2004 pour la confiance dans l'économie numérique
- Name of Court
- Tribunal judiciaire de Paris (17ème chambre)
- Date of decision
- Aug 18, 2020
- Subjects
- Conspiracy Theories
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie - 26.07.2020
- Case number
- VII SA/Wa 2154/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Entry in the register of monuments (Wpis do rejestru zabytków) - Confirmation of the decision to include a building with historical and cultural links to the Jewish community in the register of monuments
Art. 9 ust. 1 Ochrona zabytków i opieka nad zabytkami
- Name of Court
- Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie
- Date of decision
- Jul 26, 2020
- Subjects
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Administrative Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - 21.07.2020
- Case number
- I ACa 382/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Protection of the personality rights of persons engaged in public activities (Ochrona dóbr osobistych osób podejmujących działalność publiczną) - allegations of homophobic, antisemitic and derogatory statements towards women - The court ruled that the statements were protected by freedom of expression
Art. 24 Kodeks cywilny; Art. 12 ust. 1 pkt 1 Prawo prasowe
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - I Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Jul 21, 2020
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Najwyższy - 10.07.2020
- Case number
- I CSK 167/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Protection of personal rights in the context of antisemitic hate speech on an internet portal. The claimant complained that a media company allowed anonymous online comments containing vulgar and antisemitic content to remain accessible under one of its articles. The Supreme Court held that a hosting provider may incur civil liability for tolerating clearly antisemitic and abusive comments where their unlawful nature is obvious, even in the absence of prior formal notification.
Art. 23, Art. 24 Civil Code
Art. 14(1), Art. 15 Act on Providing Services by Electronic Means
Art. 10 European Convention on Human Rights
- Name of Court
- Sąd Najwyższy - Izba Cywilna
- Date of decision
- Jul 10, 2020
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Supreme Court
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Millett v Corbyn - 10.07.2020
- Case number
- QB-2019-002079
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The proceedings concerned a defamation claim arising from a television statement made in the context of the public debate on antisemitism, in which two unnamed individuals were described as highly disruptive and very abusive towards a speaker. The antisemitism-related core issue was whether, in the context of the controversy at the time, the statement would be understood as portraying an identifiable individual in a defamatory manner as aggressive and abusive. The court held, as preliminary issues, that the statement referred to the claimant, constituted allegations of fact, and conveyed a sufficiently defamatory tendency; the issue of “serious harm” had not yet been determined. Defamation Act 2013, section 1; Limitation Act 1980, section 35; Civil Procedure Rules, rule 17.4; CPR PD 39A para 6.1
- Name of Court
- High Court Of Justice King's Bench Divison Media And Communications List
- Date of decision
- Jul 10, 2020
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Millet v Corbyn – 20.04.2021
- Case number
- [2020]EWHC 1848 (QB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
Libel – Concerns an interview – concerns an interview by the BBC in 2018 with the former leader of the Labour Party – reference to a statement in Parliament in 2013 which was described by some as antisemitic – the claimant was one of the addressees of the statement that singled him out as a “disruptive”, “abusive”, “Zionist” and not understanding of English irony
Defamation Act 2013
- Name of Court
- High Court of Justice (Queen’s Bench Division)
- Date of decision
- Jul 10, 2020
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - 07.07.2020
- Case number
- V ACa 511/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Personality rights of public figures and the right to freedom of expression (Ochrona dóbr osobistych osób publicznych a wolność wyrażania opinii) - A rights ombudsman in Poland made critical remarks in an interview towards a politician and his donors - Politician sued him for antisemitic remarks - The court rejected the claim because his remarks were considered opinions and not facts
Art. 23, art. 24 Kodeks cywilny
- Name of Court
- Sąd Apelacyjny w Warszawie - V Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Jul 7, 2020
- Subjects
- Freedom of Speech
- General right to personality
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Insult
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Rejonowy dla Warszawy-Śródmieścia w Warszawie - 30.06.2020
- Case number
- X K 955/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
The case concerns online antisemitic hate speech in which the accused published content inciting hatred against Jews on national and religious grounds; the court found the offence clearly proven, convicted the accused, imposed a financial penalty and ordered publication of the judgment, affirming that public incitement against Jews, including online, is a punishable criminal act.
Art. 256 § 1, Art. 39 point 8, Art. 43b Criminal Code
Art. 500 § 1 i 3, Art. 627 Code of Criminal Procedure
- Name of Court
- Sąd Rejonowy dla Warszawy-Śródmieścia w Warszawie X Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Jun 30, 2020
- Subjects
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Sąd Rejonowy w Brzozowie - 29.06.2020
- Case number
- II K 381/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Incitement to hatred (Podżeganie do nienawiści wobec osób narodowości żydowskiej) - Concerns the postings on an Internet portal in which the defendant denied the existence of German concentration camps on Polish soil and called for violence against persons of Jewish nationality
Art. 627 Kodeks postępowania karnego, Art. 11 § 2, Art. 11 § 3, Art. 33 § 1, Art. 33 § 3, Art. 43(b), Art. 69 § 1, Art. 69 § 2, Art. 70 § 1, Art. 71 § 1, Art. 72 § 1 pkt 2, Art. 73 § 1, Art. 91 § 1, Art. 256 § 1, art. 257 Kodeks karny, Art. 2 ust. 1 pkt 3 Opłaty w sprawach karnych, Art. 55 Instytut Pamięci Narodowej - Komisja Ścigania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu
- Name of Court
- Sąd Rejonowy w Brzozowie - II Wydział Karny
- Date of decision
- Jun 29, 2020
- Subjects
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Cour d’appel de Paris - 25.06.2020
- Case number
- n° 19/05268
- Country
- France
- Case Description
The case concerns the conviction of B. (alias Soral), the publication director of the website "Égalité et Réconciliation," and his lawyer V. (alias D.), regarding an article published online that contained negationist arguments and minimized the atrocities of the Holocaust. The published text argued that the displays of shoes and hair at Holocaust memorial sites were "staged" to "strike the imagination". It further claimed that the cutting of hair in concentration camps was merely a matter of "hygiene" to prevent typhus and dismissed reports of soap or lampshades made from human remains as "war propaganda" by the "enemies of defeated Germany". Several anti-racist organizations, including LICRA and UEJF, reported the publication to the prosecutor. The Court of Appeal confirmed the guilt of the primary defendant but acquitted the lawyer of complicity.
Arts. 23 and 24 bis of the Law of July 29, 1881 (Freedom of the Press); Arts. 121-6 and 121-7 of the Criminal Code (Complicity)
- Name of Court
- Cour d’appel de Paris
- Date of decision
- Jun 25, 2020
- Subjects
- Holocaust Denial & Trivialisation
- Type of Court
- Court of Appeal
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law
Howell v Evans & Anor - 19.06.2020
- Case number
- [2020] EWHC 2070 (QB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerns an application arising out of internal Labour Party governance disputes, in which the claimant referred to an internal report of the Labour Party’s Governance and Legal Unit concerning the handling of antisemitism complaints between 2014 and 2019 as part of the factual background. The High Court addressed procedural and substantive issues relating to the relief sought, without making any legal determination on antisemitism, which appeared only as contextual background through the reference to the internal report.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- Jun 19, 2020
- Subjects
- Other
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie - 18.06.2020
- Case number
- II C 21/19
- Country
- Poland
- Case Description
Discrimination/insult/freedom of speech (Dyskryminacja/znieważenie/wolność słowa) - The defendant had called the PiS party “an organized criminal group” and had possibly expressed an antisemitic attitude - the court ruled that the defendant's statements were not explicitly antisemitic and dismissed the claim for violation of personality rights
Art. 23, Art. 24, Art. 24 § 1, Art. 33(1) § 1, Art. 43, Art. 448 Kodeks cywilny; Art. 98 § 1, Art. 98 § 3, Art. 227, Art. 235(2) § 1 pkt 2, Art. 245, Art. 278, Art. 299, Art. 302 § 1, Art. 308, Art. 309 Kodeks postępowania cywilnego; Art. 258 Kodeks karny
- Name of Court
- Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie - III Wydział Cywilny
- Date of decision
- Jun 18, 2020
- Subjects
- Academic Freedom
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Speech
- Hate Speech and Incitement
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law
Riley & Anor v Heybroek - 19.05.2020
- Case number
- [2020] EWHC 1259 (QB)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Case Description
The case concerns a defamation claim brought by Rachel Riley and Tracy Ann Oberman against the defendant in relation to an article published online. The High Court examined whether the article conveyed defamatory meanings about the claimants, taking into account the context in which it was written, including references to public debate about antisemitism, and addressed whether the claim disclosed an arguable cause of action capable of proceeding.
- Name of Court
- High Court
- Date of decision
- May 19, 2020
- Subjects
- Defamation
- Type of Court
- Court of first instance
- Area of Law
- Civil Law