A dawn raid by German police on a man’s home has reignited debate over free speech limits after he criticized the tax system and called civil servants “parasites” on X.
Authorities searched the man’s home early in the morning, seizing his phone and personal electronics. He was taken in for fingerprinting and photographs as part of an investigation into potential incitement to hatred.
The post in question expressed frustration with Germany’s tax system and labeled public employees as “parasites,” a remark prosecutors deemed possibly inflammatory under national hate speech laws.
The man’s lawyer described the police action as “absurd and illegal,” arguing that it amounted to criminalizing political criticism. The case has drawn attention amid wider concerns in Germany about how far authorities should go in policing online speech.
