A German politician who previously served as the head of the government’s IT security agency secured a legal victory in court against popular comedian Jan Böhmermann’s television show. The court case revolved around a segment on Böhmermann’s widely watched satirical program ZDF Magazin Royale where the politician was mocked for alleged connections to Russia. The incident took place in a 2022 episode, and the court in Munich specifically took issue with four statements made by Böhmermann about Arne Schönbohm, who was then the leader of Germany’s Office for Information Security (BSI).
Despite the court ruling in favor of Schönbohm, he did not receive the requested €100,000 ($104,000) in monetary compensation from the public broadcaster ZDF. Instead, the court ordered ZDF to stop spreading the disputed claims. Shortly after the segment aired, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser removed Schönbohm from his position as BSI president in November 2022. This decision came shortly after Böhmermann’s ridicule, suggesting that Schönbohm was too close to a trade group with alleged ties to Russian intelligence services.
Following his dismissal, Schönbohm pushed back and currently holds the role of president at the Federal Academy of Public Administration, an agency within the Interior Ministry that trains public administrators. The court deemed two specific statements from the program as implying that Schönbohm had intentional connections with Russian intelligence services, labeling them as false statements that violated Schönbohm’s general rights.
The court emphasized that satirical statements should align with freedom of expression standards, especially when addressing factual aspects. In response to the court’s decision, Schönbohm, through his lawyer Markus Hennig, called for disciplinary actions at ZDF. He expressed that Böhmermann’s unfounded accusations had tarnished his reputation and severely impacted his career, referring to the segment and its aftermath as a “media execution.”
While ZDF did not immediately comment on the verdict, they indicated that a statement regarding the case would be issued soon. It is important to note that the ruling is not yet final and could still be subject to appeal.
