The anti-defamation bill approved by the West German Cabinet this month was presented to the Federal Parliament today, The draft is an amendment of paragraph 113 of the West German penal code.
The proposed amendment reads: “Any one who in the future, in a form endangering the public peace, will agitate against a national, racial, religious group or against a group because of its national origin, who will slander them or make them contemptible, or against better knowledge, make defamation and assertions of a factual nature, will be punished with not less than three months’ imprisonment. ” A fine may be imposed in addition.
The law is expected to reach the floor of Parliament soon for discussion. A similar draft has been placed before Parliament for discussion three times since 1950. Ministry of Justice officials said that the draft laws had never been discussed in Parliament for “technical reasons.”
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