The Minister of Justice inΒ Germany, Heiko Maas yesterday announced that the German government will abolishΒ the law that forbids citizens ofΒ that country to insult foreign leaders.

Maas said that law is β€œoutdated and unnecessary”.

The Turkish Embassy in Macedonia at the end of December last year, announced that it had brought criminal charges against E.A., a Turkish citizen because he had insulted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on β€œFacebook”, therefore, harming the reputation of the Republic of Turkey and its President.

Otherwise, according to article 181 of Macedonia’s Criminal Code, a fineΒ will be issued to aΒ β€œperson who intends to Β publicly mock a foreign country, its flag, coat of arms, its hymn or the head of the country or its diplomatic representative.”

The Law onΒ insulting foreign dignitariesΒ comes from the times of the monarchies in Europe and is associated with the French term β€œlΓ¨se-majestΓ©”. Its original purpose was to provide protection forΒ the monarchs and sanctions for everyone who wanted toΒ hurt their reputation or the kingdom they ruled.