A German court will this week revisit a controversial conviction over a political meme that has drawn international attention and reignited debate over the limits of satire and freedom of expression in Europe.
On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the Bamberg Regional Court will hear the appeal in the criminal case against David Bendels, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Deutschland-Kurier (DK), who was sentenced to seven months’ probation for sharing a satirical meme depicting then–interior minister Nancy Faeser holding a sign reading “I hate freedom of expression.”
It will happen here …
💥REPORT: The Canadian Race Relations is educating Police forces across the country on how to police language in their communities, by using the Government’s new interpretation of what a Hate crime is in Bill C-9.
Need more proof it’s all theatre? pic.twitter.com/38Kdza3mGc
— Wiretap Media (@WiretapMediaCa) January 13, 2026
