Bonn public prosecutor's office Investigation of hate mails to the mayor has concluded
Bonn · The public prosecutor's office in Bonn has determined that hate mails received by Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan were an expression of political opinion. An investigation into the matter has ended.
The public prosecutor's office in Bonn has ended an investigation into three hate mails received by Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan (CDU). General Anzeiger learned of the development following an inquiry to the public prosecutor. In two cases the senders could not be identified, in the third case the e-mail was not deemed punishable by law because its content, although offensive, was considered an expression of political opinion.
Sridharan received the hate mail in summer as a reaction to a refugee initiative. After Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf had campaigned in an open letter at the end of July for taking in refugees rescued from the Mediterranean Sea, many negative reactions were received in all three cities. The mayor of Düsseldorf, Thomas Geisel (SPD), even received a death threat. But the investigation there was also concluded because the sender of the e-mail could not be determined.
Investigation already ended in October
The investigation had already concluded in October. Lord Mayor Sridharan responded to the outcome by saying: "I naturally respect the decision of the public prosecutor's office. Freedom of expression is a great privilege. It was important to me to check whether such (offensive mails) were covered by freedom of speech".
Although Sridharan filed a complaint against only three e-mails, there was a substantially larger number of "unfriendly mails" on the subject, as the city calls them. The total number could not be determined as the messages had long since been deleted. Insults and xenophobic comments had also reached the city via social networks.
Orig. text: Nadine Klees
Translation: ck
