Germany's parliament has voted to scrap its law protecting heads of state and governments from insults. The decision comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tried to indict a prominent German satirist.
The Bundestag early Friday voted overwhelmingly in favor scrapping Germany's archaic lese majeste law, which criminalized insults directed at foreign heads of state and governments.
Also known as Paragraph 103 of Germany's criminal code, the law captured global headlines last year after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pressed charges against German satirist Jan Böhmermann over a so-called "smear poem."
The decision to scrap the law will come into effect on January 1, 2018.
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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Erdogan vs. Böhmermann
In March 2016, Böhmermann read out a poem on his weekly show on public broadcaster ZDF that included claims Erdogan watched child pornography and had sex with animals.
However, the satirist made clear that the poem's intention was to show the difference between legitimate criticism and genuine insults, a satirical response to the thousands of "lese majeste" cases the Turkish president was pursuing in Turkey and abroad.
Nevertheless, Erdogan asked the German government to authorize an investigation into Böhmermann. Chancellor Angela Merkel approved the request, to considerable criticism at home. Böhmermann could have faced up to three years in prison if found guilty.
Once the case was dropped, the German parliament's upper house, the Bundesrat, voted in December in favor of scrapping Paragraph 103, a decision that was followed by Merkel's cabinet the following month.
According to Germany's Federal Constitutional Court, artistic freedom is unconditional but not unlimited. Should it be found to infringe on an individual's personal freedoms, including those of a foreign national, the merits of each would need to be considered. Although satire generally enjoys a large degree of artistic freedom, the same constitutional considerations would apply.
Following the Hamburg court's decision, Böhmermann's lawyer said the court had failed to "adequately consider" the satirist's right to artistic freedom. A higher court is now hearing an appeal.
