Controversial physician
“Quote thinker” icon Sucharit Bhakdi acquitted of hate speech to applause from his supporters
The physician and author Sucharit Bhakdi has to answer before the district court of Plön on charges of double incitement to hatred
© Christian Charisius / DPA
In the small town of Plön in Schleswig-Holstein, the corona vaccination critic Sucharit Bhakdi was on trial for incitement to hatred. Hundreds of supporters greeted him with applause before the criminal trial began. In the end, they cheered more than before.
The doctor and author Sucharit Bhakdi has been acquitted of charges of double incitement to hatred before the district court in Plön, Schleswig-Holstein. The court was unable to determine that the 76-year-old made himself punishable with statements during the 2021 election campaign and an interview on the Internet, said judge Malte Grundmann in the verdict on Tuesday. Although the comparison between vaccination policy and the Holocaust is unacceptable, Bhakdi’s statements were not likely to disturb public peace.
This was accepted by the representative of the Attorney General’s Office. Grundmann, on the other hand, said that in the case of ambiguous statements, the interpretation more favorable to the accused should be taken into account. The court thus followed the view of the defense, which had demanded acquittal. The judge expressly pointed out that, at the end of his speech, Bhakdi called for peaceful discourse with politicians and emphasized the idea of democratic decision-making.
The Attorney General’s Office accused the retired professor of microbiology in two cases of hate speech. According to the indictment, Bhakdi incited hatred towards Jews living in Germany in connection with fierce criticism of Israel’s vaccination policy and maliciously despised them as a religious group. With a drastic, aggressive choice of words on vaccination policy as the second Holocaust, he consciously accepted a climate of fear among German Jews, said Silke Füssinger, senior public prosecutor and anti-Semitism commissioner for the state of Schleswig-Holstein. She demanded a fine of 180 daily rates of 90 euros each.
Sucharit Bhakdi spread misinformation about the corona pandemic in books and speeches
The defense dismissed the charges and accused the attorney general’s office of having politicized the process. The trial took place even though the Kiel public prosecutor’s office had rejected the indictment of Bhakdi and dropped the trial. The Attorney General then took over the case.
According to the defense, the Attorney General’s office did not fully investigate and did not consider anything exculpatory for the accused, who had no criminal record. The charges against Bhakdi are unfounded.
According to scientists, Bhakdi repeatedly spread misinformation in his bestselling books on the corona pandemic, in interviews and in speeches. The universities in Mainz and Kiel, where he used to work, have distanced themselves from Bhakdi’s statements.
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Bhakdi himself said after the acquittal: “I feel great gratitude to the German judiciary and the Plön court.” That also applies to his defense attorneys and “the thousands of people who have stood by me over the past few years”. A 67-year-old supporter said: “There is still justice. I didn’t expect that.”
But the case is not over yet. The chief prosecutor announced an appeal.
In the early morning, more than 300 followers of Bhakdi from all over Germany had gathered in front of the courthouse in the district capital. But there was only room for almost two dozen journalists and 21 spectators. The police deployed around 50 officers, and the judiciary also increased its staff. Those who couldn’t get in were literally left out in the rain. However, many persevered until the acquitted Bhakdi showed himself to them. Several hundred supporters of the harsh critic of Corona policy once again cheered the professor loudly.
An unusual scene took place in the courtroom before the hearing began. A woman dressed in white knelt in front of the accused. The avowed Buddhist Bhakdi pressed his hands together in front of his chest, smiled and conversed with the woman.