Jan Böhmermann is taking Merkel to court over her response to his 2016 poem about the Turkish president. At the time, Merkel described the poem as "purposefully offensive," though she later said that was a mistake.
Böhmermann's "Schmähgedicht" — or "defamatory poem" — sparked a diplomatic crisis between Germany and Turkey in 2016 and led to an investigation against the German comedian.
Details of the case:
A spokesperson with Berlin's Administrative Court told news agency DPA that Böhmermann's suit against Merkel includes two parts:
First, he wants the court to bar her from publicly repeating that his poem was "purposefully offensive."
If the court rejects that motion, Böhmermann has asked the court to formally state that Merkel's assessment of his poem was unlawful.
The Berlin court will hear the case on April 16 and is also due to deliver a verdict then as well.
Merkel will not personally appear in court, but will be represented by her lawyer.
Erdogan vs. Böhmermman: 10 world politicians targeted by satire
German satirist Jan Böhmermann has sparked debates on freedom of speech in Germany with his snide video on Turkish President Erdogan. Here are other politicians around the world who've inspired parody - including Merkel.
Image: ZDF Neo Magazin Royale
Angela Merkel
As bailouts for the Greek debt crisis were negotiated, Angela Merkel was often depicted in Greek magazines wearing Nazi symbols. This cover from the satirical magazine "Mystiki Ellada," from 2012, does not explicitly do so, but does portray the chancellor wearing a World War II army uniform and a vulture on her shoulder. The German government never considered any legal claims for such depictions.
Image: picture-alliance/Rolf Haid
Donald Trump
The controversial potential Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump is often the target of cartoons and satire. The real estate mogul is not exactly open to criticism. Last Sunday (10.04.2016), "The Boston Globe" published a parody front page showing the world under his presidency. Trump shot back calling the story "stupid" and "worthless."
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/The Boston Globe
Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin likes to show off his muscles on holiday photos. After he let the world see a picture of himself riding a horse bare-chested, Putin's presidential torso was also emphasized in satirical representations - such as here, during a Carnival parade in Dusseldorf in 2015.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Weihrauch
Kim Jong-un
The communist ruler of North Korea really doesn't appreciate being at the center of a joke. Upon the planned release of the satirical movie "The Interview," depicting a fictional interview with the North Korean leader and CIA plans to assassinate him, hackers attacked Sony Pictures studios. The FBI determined that the North Korean government was behind the cyber attacks.
There's a long tradition of poking fun at top politicians: This British cartoon from 1915 portrays Winston Churchill, then Secretary of the Navy, as a decadent Achilles during the Trojan War. The drawing criticized the failures of his leadership during the Battle of Gallipoli in the Dardanelles.
Image: picture-alliance/akg-images
George W. Bush
The 43rd president of the United States was one of the most reliable suppliers of jokes for late-night comedians in the US. Cartoons often underlined his alleged lack of intelligence. Satirists recently jumped on the opportunity to ridicule him once again when he revealed he had turned to painting.
Image: Getty Images/M. Tama
Jaroslaw Kaczynski
A float at this year's Carnival parade in Dusseldorf sparked diplomatic tensions between Poland and Germany. It depicted Poland as a battered woman trampled by the boot of the leader of the right-wing Law and Justice Party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. The Polish Foreign Minister said that it showed "contempt for the Polish people and Polish politicians."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gambarini
Benjamin Netanyahu
The Israeli prime minister with the unmistakable deep voice is regularly lampooned by the comedians of the TV show "Eretz Nehederet" ("A Wonderful Country"). The weekly satirical television show is one of the most popular in Israel. Netanyahu was never publically offended by the parodies. On the contrary, "Bibi," as he's nicknamed, was even a guest star of the show in 2013.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Guez
Ayatollah Khomeini
Just like Jan Böhmermann, the Dutch-born entertainer Rudi Carrell, who lived in Germany, created a diplomatic controversy in 1987 with a photo montage showing the leader of Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, being pelted with lingerie during a state visit. As a result, two German diplomats were expelled from Tehran.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/I. Wagner
Erdogan and Böhmermann
It is still to be seen if Jan Böhmermann's provocative poem on Erdogan will lead to a similar diplomatic crisis as back in 1987 with Iran. One thing is for sure, it is not the first time that political satire has led to tensions between countries - and the ways of dealing with it are just as varied as the ruler's political style.
Image: ZDF Neo Magazin Royale
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What was the Böhmermann affair?
In March 2016, Böhmermann read out a poem on his weekly satirical show "Neo Magazin Royale" on public broadcaster ZDF. It included claims that Erdogan watched child pornography and had sex with animals.
However, Böhmermann prefaced the poem by saying it was intended to show the difference between legitimate criticism and genuine insults. He also said he wanted to criticize Germany's antiquated "lese majeste" law — which criminalized insults against foreign heads of state — and point out Erdogan's numerous "lese majeste" lawsuits in other countries.
At the time, Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters that the chancellor believed the poem to be "purposefully offensive."
Shortly afterwards, the German government authorized prosecutors to review the poem in court, as requested by Turkey. Böhmermann's lawyer argued that this amounted to a pre-trial and had considerable consequences for his client.
The chancellor later said that her remark on the poem was a mistake.
