In Germany, making the Nazi salute, even with the left arm, is punishable by law. This is reported by some German media as well as the broadcaster Ntv after a recent ruling by the Hamm Higher Court upholding the conviction of a 51-year-old man from Bremen. The man allegedly committed the act in 2022 but, according to his own words, intentionally used his left arm for provocative reasons, as he did not believe it was forbidden to do so. The act occurred in Munster, on the sidelines of a G7 meeting, and both the district court and the regional court of the German town found him guilty of the act. The 51-year-old was sentenced to pay a fine of 600 euros. He then filed a request for review of this decision, which the Hamm court rejected as unfounded.
The indication of the courts
The Federal Constitutional Court and other higher courts have already ruled in the past that it makes no difference which arm is used to perform the Nazi salute, which remains a prohibited gesture. The defendant, it was reiterated, cannot therefore invoke the fact that he intentionally used only his left arm to provoke his political opponents. The Hamm court, in its recent ruling, therefore agreed with the previous assessments of the Federal Constitutional Court and other higher courts, stating that the Nazi salute, regardless of the arm used, is a prohibited gesture and should be fundamentally banned from political life. This ruling, the German media conclude, “serves as a clear reminder that extremist gestures such as the Nazi salute are not considered valid instruments of political controversy and will lead to sanctions for those who display them.”
