A court in Berlin has upheld a restaurant owner’s right to freedom of speech and religion and found the search warrant issued by the district court unlawful.
Young-Ai Park was subjected to a police search and a fine for hanging prints of Bible verses in her restaurant. Among many others, the prints included verses from the bible on human sexuality. Park was accused of so-called “hate speech” and investigated by the police.
“In a free society, everyone should be able to share their beliefs without fear of criminal investigation or censorship. This is the foundation of every free society,” said Dr Felix Böllmann, Senior Counsel, Europe for ADF International.
“We welcome the ruling which protects Mrs Park’s fundamental right to express her beliefs in private and in public. Criminalising speech through so-called ‘hate speech’ laws simply shuts down debate and threatens the democratic foundations of our society. We hope this decision will help reinforce the fact that freedom of speech is not a matter of opinion but a fundamental right that everyone must be able to enjoy,”
Young-Ai Park is not the only person in Germany who has faced criminal investigation for expressing her deeply held beliefs. In Bremen, the trial of Pastor Olaf Latzel is expecting a ruling this week. During a course on marriage with members of his parish, he spoke about the Christian teaching on human sexuality and marriage. After this was published online, he was accused of “stirring up hatred” and now faces a criminal trial.
Böllmann said: “Pastor Latzel’s case is a significant test for free speech and freedom of religion in Germany. The recent ruling in Mrs Park’s case gives us hope that this standard will be upheld throughout the country. The European Court of Human Rights has affirmed that the right to freedom of expression does not protect merely popular ideas, but also those that challenge the status quo or with which others strongly disagree. If we want to have freedom for ourselves, we have to extend it to others. Tolerance is a two-way street. Driving people with different beliefs out of the public square is not only a violation of the rights protected in international and European law, but leaves our societies all the poorer for it.”
Picture: Closeup of a crucifix on a Holy Bible on a wooden table. (rclassenlayouts).
