After “dirty work” statement: Didi Hallervorden files criminal complaint against Friedrich Merz

Comedian Dieter "Didi" Hallervorden and former Bundestag member Diether Dehm have filed a criminal complaint against Chancellor Friedrich Merz ( CDU ). A corresponding letter has been obtained by the Berliner Zeitung. The complaint has been filed with the Federal Prosecutor General and the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office, according to the approximately 20 signatories. Among them are artists, musicians, and comedians. They also include publicist Patrik Baab, BSW politician Andrej Hunko, and Michael von der Schulenburg, who represents the BSW in the European Parliament.

The background to this is statements made by the Chancellor on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada . Referring to the war in the Middle East, Merz said in a conversation with a ZDF journalist: "This is the dirty work that Israel is doing, for all of us." Merz echoed his counterpart's choice of words. Critics described his statement as dehumanizing.

The signatories of the complaint are demanding legal consequences for the Chancellor. "Even if his statement was made abroad, which would have no direct criminal effect, it is primarily designed to have an impact in Germany," they argue. Section 80a of the Criminal Code, for example, justifies "incitement to a war of aggression" with "heightened propaganda incentives aimed at the addressee's emotions." "This is likely to be seen as having a particularly pronounced effect on both the German public and the suffering populations in Iran, Lebanon , and Gaza —particularly in the case of a Federal Chancellor." By adding "for all of us" to the so-called dirty work, they argue, "the violation also exists in a narrow legal interpretation."

However, since a reform in 2017, Section 80a of the Criminal Code refers to "incitement to the crime of aggression." It refers to the Code of International Criminal Law, which also addresses wars of aggression—for example, their planning or initiation.

Furthermore, the signatories emphasize that Merz violated "the idea of ​​international understanding" and the "commandment of peace," both of which are enshrined in the Basic Law. He is bound by these principles according to his oath of office. However, this should not be punishable.

Signatories accuse Merz of using Nazi vocabulary

"The Chancellor is now citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who claims to have hindered the development of an Iranian nuclear bomb," the signatories explain. However, this is denied by American intelligence agencies. "It should be added that Netanyahu has been publicly ranting about an Iranian nuclear bomb being near completion since 2002, i.e., for 23 years."

The "commendation of the Israeli war of aggression" as "dirty work for all of us" also contradicts the UN Charter. Article 2.3 states: "All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means..." The signatories, including Hallervorden and Dehm, refer to Article 2.4 of the UN Charter: "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations."

The criminal complaint even accuses Merz of using Nazi vocabulary. "In early 1942, SS Obersturmführer August Häfner justified the mass shooting of 34,000 Jewish people within 48 hours at Babi Yar as 'dirty work' using the same cynical language."