BERLIN (GERMANY), Aug. 16 (dpa/EP) –
The criminal complaint filed by Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger against German journalist Julian Reichelt, who accused him of being an Islamist, has been dropped due to lack of evidence, the Berlin public prosecutor’s office reported to the German news agency dpa.
The footballer has sued former Bild editor-in-chief and current NIUS journalist Julian Reichelt for slander and inciting hatred. Rüdiger, a practising Muslim, posted a photo on Instagram on March 11 of himself in a white robe on a prayer mat, with his right index finger pointing upwards and the text ‘May the Almighty accept our fasting and our prayers.’
Journalist Julian Reichelt commented on the social network ‘X’ that the raised index finger was an Islamist gesture, which led Rüdiger and the German Football Association (DFB) to file a complaint.
The Berlin public prosecutor’s office has now ruled that there was no criminal liability for libel, defamation or slander. “The posts do not constitute statements of fact, but – as can be seen from the general context – mere value judgements,” they explained.
The court added that even when weighed against the grounds of freedom of expression, it could not be said that there was sufficient suspicion. The investigators also do not consider that the requirements for the charge of inciting hatred have been met.
The sign made by Rüdiger is a typical gesture among Muslims and is part of the prayer. The extended index finger symbolises the belief in the one God (‘Tauhid’). The sign is the visible expression of the Islamic profession of faith, which affirms that there are no gods other than the one God (‘Allah’).
A few months ago, the Ministry of the Interior explained that tawhid “is considered in Islam a symbol of the unity and oneness of God,” a gesture “widespread among Muslims around the world.” According to the ministry’s assessment, it should be understood as a profession of faith and can therefore be described as unproblematic.
“This applies regardless of the fact that Islamist groups appropriate this symbol and misuse it for their own purposes,” they added. “It could be considered a sign of Salafist or Islamist radicalisation if actors deliberately use this ambiguity,” the ministry’s document added.