CHARLIE Chaplin’s granddaughter has compared Angela Merkel
‘s decision to allow the prosecution of a German comedian for insulting the
Turkish president to the appeasement of Hitler in the 1930s.
Jan Böhmermann faces up to five years in prison for
insulting a foreign head of state, after Mrs Merkel gave permission for him to
be prosecuted under Germany’s controversial lese-majeste law.
The comedian had read a poem mocking Mr Erdogan on his TV
show as a test of free expression after the Turkish leader demanded German
action over a satirical song which poked fun at his policies and extravagant
lifestyle.
Now, Laura Chaplin has compared the current Böhmermann case to the American and British
attempts to prevent her grandfather filming The Great Dictator, his satire of
the Nazi regime, over fears it would offend the Fuhrer.
Laura Chaplin's decision spoke out as a new poll showed the
depth of German public opposition to the prosecution of Böhmermann for
insulting the Turkish leader.
An overwhelming 66 per cent of Germans believe Mrs Merkel
was wrong to allow the prosecution to go ahead, according to the poll for Bild.
Only 22 per cent of respondents supported her decision, with
12 per cent undecided.
Having survived public opposition to her principled
'open-doors' refugee policy, Merkel has now, it seems, fallen on her face over an unpopular position on this
new case. Free speech, it's like a candle in the wind!
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