My trial is over. In spite of all the hope, the judge found me guilty.

If this ruling becomes final, I will have to pay a fine of €6,000 and have a conviction on my criminal record, all because of a cartoon I shared on CitizenGO's Facebook page.

From the first minutes of the hearing on February 22, 2024, it became clear that this was a political process.

Despite the starkness of the court setting- the plain walls and the straight lines of the benches, the prosecutor and the judge were polite and even friendly. It wasn't a fake kind of friendly where they're really just trying to be tough on you. No, they were genuinely nice, which was odd. They made it clear that it wasn't about me as a person. They didn't think I was a troublemaker or anything.

It was just about the message they wanted to send to everyone else about what I did.

Normally, the defense attorney and public prosecutor can discuss discontinuing a case with certain conditions if the allegations are not particularly serious. Then I might still have had to pay something, but I wouldn't have gotten a criminal record.

But the prosecutor made it clear that he would not negotiate and that LGBT-related incitement cases will never be discontinued. He underlined this by pointing out that he had taken the time to write a five-page accusation.

In his plea, the public prosecutor demanded a fine of €9,000 and presented this as a merciful concession. Normally, he said, the law would demand prison sentences for incitement to hatred. My defense attorney explained that he did not accept the facts of the case as presented by the prosecutor and pleaded for acquittal.

The judge would not accept this, and pronounced a guilty verdict. Although the court followed the public prosecutor's reasoning, the sentence remained well below the public prosecutor's request. The fine is now €6,000, which is obviously still a ridiculously high penalty.

There was a large crucifix hanging above the judges bench, which reminded me that God is always with us, especially in our trials, bringing peace and strength despite facing unfair judgment.

However, the whole thing felt ironic. Here I was, a guy with no criminal history, who meant well, and yet I was being used as an example for others, directly below a cross. They were saying, "Sorry, it's not about you, but we still have to do this." 

It made me think, if this could happen to me here, directly under this ultimate symbol of goodness, it could happen to anybody who opposes the LGBT-ideology — to you, or even to your children tomorrow.

They'll hand down a punishment with a handshake and a smile, and suddenly, you're another warning for everyone else, and then they wash their hands… 

The only good news is that this was the first instance at the Kulmbach District Court. We have now filed an appeal. The proceedings are going to the second instance, where we hope for an acquittal. After I left the courtroom and was met with my friends and colleagues, I felt reinvigorated in this fight. 

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all CitizenGO supporters who prayed for a good outcome to the trial. The many encouraging messages that have reached me from all over the world have given me courage and support. We will not give up now.

On behalf of the entire CitizenGO team, I would especially like to thank everyone who made a donation to help pay the court and legal fees.

Here you can see a video with the statements that my lawyer and I  made after the hearing: