Will Andreas Glarner’s immunity be lifted?

Public prosecutor’s office is investigating racial discrimination: Will Andreas Glarner’s immunity be revoked?

The public prosecutor’s office in Bern-Mittelland has submitted a request to the responsible National Council commission to revoke Andreas Glarner’s immunity. Criminal proceedings are underway against the SVP National Council because of a post critical of Islam on X/Twitter after the knife attack in Mannheim.

Before the National Council elections in autumn 2023, Andreas Glarner published a fake video of Basel Green National Councilor Sibel Arslan on X (then Twitter) and Instagram. With the help of artificial intelligence, the SVP National Council had his counterpart recite right-wing slogans in a voice that sounded like hers. The fake Arslan asked voters to write Andreas Glarner on the list twice.

Andreas Glarner was reported for a tweet critical of Islam – and now he is threatened with the lifting of his parliamentary immunity.

Image: Fabio Baranzini

The indication that it was not a real video was displayed in relatively small size at the bottom left. Arslan obtained a super-provisional injunction, Glarner had to take the video down, the Basel civil court sentenced him to pay 3,842.50 francs: 1,500 francs were the court costs, 2,342.50 francs were Sibel Arslan’s legal fees.

Glarner said in the Tamedia newspapers in January: “It was worth the fun for me.” But the legal dispute didn’t end there: On January 12, Arslan filed a criminal complaint against Glarner – the accusation: identity abuse. Since then, the case has been quiet – until an explosive entry was posted on Parliament’s website on November 5th.

Bern public prosecutor’s office is investigating

«24.195 Parliamentary business: Immunity of National Councilor Andreas Glarner. Request for repeal,” it says. This is noteworthy because the public prosecutor’s office must request that Glarner’s immunity be lifted if it initiates proceedings against him. Members of Parliament are protected by immunity if the potentially criminal act occurs in direct connection with their official position.

The entry on the request for the lifting of Glarner’s immunity.

Bild: Screenshot

Inquiry to the Bern public prosecutor’s office: The information officer Christof Scheurer confirms that the regional public prosecutor’s office in Bern-Mittelland has submitted a request to lift Andreas Glarner’s immunity. The request is not related to the complaint by National Councilor Sibel Arslan.

Tweet after knife attack in Germany

Shortly afterwards, the editorial team reached the SVP National Council on his cell phone, and Glarner confirmed that criminal proceedings were underway against him. He was reported anonymously because of a tweet critical of Islam that he wrote after the knife attack in Mannheim. However, he is currently on the road and has the documents in the office, so he cannot give any details, says Glarner. Later it turns out: It’s about a post on X from June 2nd of this year.

In it Glarner wrote: “Shouldn’t we slowly put a stop to a religion whose members emphasize their demands for headscarves, special rights, caliphates, minarets, prayer callers, Sharia courts, etc. through explosive attacks, attacks on Christmas markets and knife attacks on innocent citizens… »

Christof Scheurer, spokesman for the Bern public prosecutor’s office, confirmed Glarner’s statements on Thursday. He adds: “The police received an anonymous tip and, based on this, subsequently filed a complaint with the public prosecutor’s office in Bern-Mittelland.” Scheurer goes on to say that, as AZ suspected, it is about possible racial discrimination. Nadia Bürgy, the person providing information for the National Council’s Immunity Commission, did not comment; she promised a media release for November 18th.