German court issues arrest warrant for AfD politician Maximilian Krah
Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- A German court has reportedly issued an arrest warrant for AfD politician Maximilian Krah over a dispute with satirist Jan Böhmermann.
- The warrant stems from Krah's failure to pay legal costs after losing a case against Böhmermann, who had questioned Krah's claim about ordering champagne at Oktoberfest.
- Krah has expressed reluctance to pay Böhmermann, whom he called a "disgusting person," and his lawyer is reviewing ongoing demands.
An arrest warrant has reportedly been issued for Maximilian Krah, a member of the German Bundestag for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The warrant is linked to a legal dispute with ZDF satirist Jan Böhmermann and Krah's subsequent failure to pay court-ordered costs.
Germany is a state of law, and it cannot be that a member of parliament and a full lawyer evades his legal obligations.
The case originated when Böhmermann read out a message on his podcast suggesting Krah had ordered 200 bottles of champagne at Oktoberfest. Krah pursued legal action, citing potential impacts on his personal rights. However, he lost the case, partly because Böhmermann clarified that the number was closer to 50 bottles.
According to reports, Krah has not paid the approximately €5,000 in legal costs awarded to Böhmermann, with an additional €296.26 still outstanding. A court bailiff reportedly scheduled a hearing for asset disclosure in mid-July, but Krah did not appear. The Chemnitz District Court declined to comment on the non-public proceedings.
I am surprised that demands are constantly being added; my lawyer will examine them.
Böhmermann's lawyer, Sebastian Gorski, stated that it is unacceptable for a member of parliament and a trained lawyer to evade legal obligations. Krah, when contacted by Der Spiegel, expressed surprise at what he described as
He is a disgusting person, so I only pay reluctantly.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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