A high-profile arrest in Germany has triggered outrage over what many see as part of an alarming encroachment on free expression.
Jürgen Todenhöfer, the author and former member of parliament, was taken into custody in Munich after publishing social media posts that likened Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s treatment of Palestinians to Nazi crimes during World War II.
Police reportedly searched his apartment and seized all electronic devices following weeks of surveillance.
The 84-year-old, once a prominent figure in the center-Right Christian Democratic Union before founding his own Justice Party in 2020, revealed on X that he had been detained, citing the message that led to his arrest: “Mister Netanyahu, does your conscience never actually protest when you do to Palestinians the same thing that the cursed Nazis did to the Jews?”
Authorities have yet to comment publicly, but the incident falls under Germany’s strict anti-incitement laws, which forbid statements perceived as diminishing the Holocaust.
Todenhöfer has never been shy about challenging Germany’s foreign policy.
His books on conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria earned him a reputation as a persistent voice against militarism. Despite his party’s lack of electoral success, his arrest has amplified his message.
After being detained, Todenhöfer accused the authorities of suppressing dissent, asking: “Is there a ‘thought police’ in Germany again?” He went on to say, “If a prison sentence comes out of this investigation, it will be an honor for me to serve it. Because standing up for peace and freedom in Palestine is our duty.”
This is not his first confrontation with law enforcement. Todenhöfer said police had previously investigated him after he accused former Chancellor Olaf Scholz of treason for allegedly permitting the destruction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
