Germany is abolishing the law, while Macedonia still prosecutes to protect monarchs

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

Maas said that law is “outdated and unnecessary”.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 “Facebook”, therefore, harming the reputation of the Republic of Turkey and its President.

Otherwise, according to article 181 of Macedonia’s Criminal Code, a fine will be issued to a “person who intends to  publicly mock a foreign country, its flag, coat of arms, its hymn or the head of the country or its diplomatic representative.”

The Law on insulting foreign dignitaries comes from the times of the monarchies in Europe and is associated with the French term “lèse-majesté”. Its original purpose was to provide protection for the monarchs and sanctions for everyone who wanted to hurt their reputation or the kingdom they ruled.