Erdogan satire video: Merkel clears path for prosecution

Euronews - The German government will not block the prosecution of a satirist who mocked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said that despite divisions in the cabinet, the ruling coalition would pass the case to the law courts. Reports said that she herself had cast the deciding vote.

Comedian Jan Böhmermann sparked fury in Ankara by reading out a lewd poem about the Turkish president on German state TV channel ZDF.

Under German law, prosecution for the offence of insulting a head of state requires a green light from politicians. If the insult is deemed to be slanderous, the sentence must be between three months and five years in jail.

However Merkel added that she wants to change the law to prevent such charges being brought in future.