In the fight against hate and hate speech against politicians on the Internet, investigators interviewed numerous suspects nationwide on Tuesday and searched houses and apartments.
The action was directed against more than 100 suspects in 13 federal states, as the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in Wiesbaden and the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor's Office jointly announced.
The background to the action day are publications on social media platforms in connection with the federal elections last autumn.
"More than 600 statements were analyzed and checked for criminal content," it said.
“Freedom of expression reaches its limits when it comes to defamation, insults and threats.
With the day of action, we are making it clear: Anyone who posts hate messages must expect the police to be at the door afterwards," said BKA President Holger Münch.
According to the information, the crimes are on the one hand insults against well-known politicians from all parties represented in the Bundestag.
Two-thirds of those affected are women.
On the other hand, the hate postings would contain misleading false reports and publicly documented false quotes "which appear suitable for defaming and discrediting those affected".
There were searches and investigations in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony and Thuringia.
“This day of action illustrates the extent to which officials and elected officials are insulted, slandered and threatened on the Internet.
In order to prevent the withdrawal of those affected from reaching a level that endangers democracy, we are consistently pursuing these crimes," said the Hessian Attorney General, Torsten Kunze.
The Central Office for Combating Internet Crime is located at the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor's Office.