German Court Fines AfD Lawmaker €11,250 for Hitler Salute Meme Amid Political Controversy

Petr Bystron, a far-right German lawmaker and member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), was fined €11,250 by a Munich court for sharing a 2022 photomontage on social media that depicted former Chancellor Angela Merkel and others with raised arms resembling a banned Hitler salute. The court ruled this constituted the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations, a charge Bystron denied, calling the proceedings political persecution aimed at discrediting the AfD. The photomontage was posted in the context of the dismissal of Ukraine's former ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, who had controversially defended Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera; Bystron's meme highlighted what he described as hypocrisy in German politics, where Melnyk faced no backlash. The case was reopened just before the 2024 EU elections, raising concerns about the judiciary being used as a political weapon. Bystron also faces separate charges of money laundering and bribery linked to alleged payments from a pro-Russian outlet. This prosecution fits into a broader pattern of legal action against AfD politicians for using Nazi symbols, such as the convictions of AfD leader Björn Höcke for quoting banned Nazi slogans.