A German political activist who was the victim of a knife attack by Muslims during a rally in Mannheim in May has been sentenced to a fine for inciting hatred against Muslim immigrants.
Michael Sturzenberger, 60, was this week found guilty of inciting hatred against Muslims and refugees and sentenced to a fine by the Hamburg District Court.
The veteran activist, who has spent years campaigning against the political influence of Islam in Germany and Europe, was previously scheduled to serve six months in prison for speech crimes. However, this week the fine was reduced to €3,600. berlin newspaper report.
Under German law, which lacks free speech protections like the First Amendment, those found guilty of inciting hatred can face up to five years in prison.
Stürzenberger appeared in court in Hamburg after he was attacked at a rally for the civil rights group Pax Europe by a suspected Islamist who had unsuccessfully applied for asylum from Afghanistan6. This is believed to be the first public appearance since being included among humans.
In the attack, which was captured on livestream video, the attacker, Sulaiman Atay, allegedly stabbed Stulzenberger and five others in Mannheim's market square, some of whom were later stabbed in the neck. They included a police officer who died from his wounds.
The stabbing shocked Germany's political landscape and played a key role in the pro-immigration government of President Olaf Scholz's efforts to tighten border controls and resume deportations to Afghanistan and Syria.
Stürzenberger was not convicted for his comments at the Mannheim rally, but at another event organized by the civil movement PaxEurope in Hamburg in October 2020.
The political activist has long criticized the negative effects of political Islam and previously had a criminal conviction for writing that Islam was a “cancer” on Europe.
Pax Europe, a civil society movement group that mainly campaigns against the construction of new mosques in Germany, has previously been branded an “Islamophobic” group by the Bavarian State Office for Constitutional Defense.
After the Mannheim attack, Sturzenberger continued to publicly criticize Islamic ideology. declare: “Political Islam is the greatest threat to our security and freedom. If responsible politicians and the media do not finally recognize this, there will likely be many more victims.”
