Court hires procedure against AfD politician Riller for sedition

Court hires procedure against AfD politician Riller for sedition

Prenzlau, Deutschland - On May 22, 2025, the district court of Neuruppin hired the procedure for sedition against AfD district council member Tony Riller. The decision follows a previous judgment of the Prenzlau district court, which Riller had sentenced to a fine of 12,000 euros in December 2022. The appeal procedure has now been enclosed with a payment of 2,000 euros to German Welthungerhilfe. This procedure was decided by public prosecutor and defense lawyer after a video by Riller's controversial speech had been played in the courtroom.

Riller was sentenced to a planned asylum accommodation in Prenzlau for his statements in a speech in April 2023. In this speech, Riller had disparaged Syrian refugees and claimed that a Syrian had told him that in the event of overcrowded boats, they would throw children and infants into the sea. He also spoke of an alleged alimentation by the federal government of "knife stabbells, rapists and murderers".

content of the procedures and assessments

The accuracy of Riller's statements was controversial during the process. He could no longer remember the exact details of his speech, while his defender Bennet Brämer explained that Riller had only used key points. Brämer emphasized that Riller did not intend to identify a certain population group as criminal. The presiding judge Jörn Kattenstroth and chief prosecutor Torsten Sauermann expressed doubts about the fact that Riller's statements fulfilled the characteristics of sedition.

sedition is defined in Germany in accordance with § 130 StGB and includes actions that are directed against national, racial, religious or ethnic groups and disrupt public peace. Such statements that stir up hate or call for violence often move on the sidelines of freedom of expression. In the current case, however, there seemed to be signs that Riller's statements could not be classified as punishable, which led to the termination of the procedure.

follow and further information

Due to the decision, Tony Riller does not go criminalized, which could be important for his political ambitions. He was elected as a member of the district council in the Uckermark in June 2023. The termination of the procedure underlines the legal challenges that similar procedures are facing, especially in view of the increase in incitement and hate speeches in recent years, which are also reinforced by social media.

The protection of public peace is central in German law and requires careful consideration between freedom of expression and the protection against sedition. In recent years there has been a noticeable increase in attacks and threats to various population groups, which underlines the relevance of such procedures. All the more important is a differentiated view of the limits of freedom of expression, especially in the context of political statements.

For more information about the legal bases for sedition in Germany, visit lawyer.org .