A Moscow court has sentenced German sculptor Jacques Tilly in absentia to eight years and six months in prison. Tilly, who designs satirical floats for the famous Rosenmontag parade in Düsseldorf, was found guilty of "offending religious feelings and spreading false information about the Russian armed forces" for caricatures mocking President Vladimir Putin.

Judge Konstantin Ochirov also fined Tilly approximately $2,300 and imposed a four-year work ban. Tilly's court-appointed defense lawyer requested an acquittal, citing lack of evidence, and noted unsuccessful attempts to contact her client through the German embassy, emphasizing he had no chance to defend himself in court.

Tilly responded with his characteristic humor: "It's now clear for all to see that the Russian regime is scared of cardboard figures. They're making fools of themselves with this sentence and don't see how pathetic it is, how scared they are of satirical criticism." The German embassy in Moscow, monitoring the trial, stated the verdict shows how "the criminalization and persecution of freedom of expression by the Russian government continues unabated" and dismissed the case as "absurd play-acting."

This incident occurs alongside other significant developments in Germany. National carrier Lufthansa is celebrating its centenary, though rising fuel costs due to the Iran war are negatively impacting its outlook. Traditional Easter peace marches are also commencing, expressing anti-war sentiments amid ongoing conflicts.

Germany is participating in UK-led talks on securing the Strait of Hormuz. The US regime has purportedly signaled that others should handle this issue and is not expected to attend, highlighting Germany's vested interests in this crucial global energy corridor as disruptions pose risks to supply stability and prices.

Syria has rejected forced deportations of refugees, with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stating Syrians abroad are "strategic resources." This debate followed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's mention of a target to return 80% of over 900,000 Syrians within three years, a figure that allegedly caused confusion and was later clarified as originating from Syrian officials.

Consumer groups have said a new rule allowing fuel price increases only once per day is not yet delivering meaningful savings. Ramona Pop noted the rule does not appear to be making fuel cheaper and urged the government to review it quickly, citing inconvenient timing for most workers and observed price jumps at midday.

Source: www.dw.com