A German artist may now potentially face criminal charges in Germany after he projected a huge image onto the walls of the United States Embassy in Berlin last Sunday.

The image was of fellow German Kim Dotcom, the embattled founder of Megaupload, along with the phrase “United Stasi of America,” referring to the secret police of former East Germany. Oliver Bienkowski videoed the event and set the video to a song that Dotcom had previously recorded, entitled “Mr. President," which includes lines like: “What about free speech, Mr. President?”

Although his light art performance only lasted for 30 seconds, German newspaper Der Tagespiegel (The Daily Mirror) reported this week that Oliver Bienkowski is now being investigated (Google Translate) by local authorities in Berlin.

His possible crime? Violation of Paragraph 103 of the German Penal Code (Google Translate), which forbids insulting foreign heads of state, members of foreign governments, or other foreign diplomatic staff in Germany—and is punishable by “up to three years in prison.” If combined with libel charges, that sentence can increase to up to five years.

However, Fabien Eickstädt, Bienkowski’s lawyer, told Der Tagespiegel that it’s not clear whether his client actually broke any laws—after all, the projection was on the US Embassy itself, which is technically subject to the laws of the United States, not Germany.

"For me it is not even clear whether German law would apply," he said.

Further, the paper also said that it would require that the victim file a formal complaint with local authorities, which apparently the embassy has no interest in doing.

Bienkowski referred Ars to an online statement by his lawyer, published on Thursday.

“Above all, Oliver Bienkowski acted in the best tradition of the Enlightenment and thus is exercising his constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression and artistic freedom,” Eickstädt writes in German (Google Translate). “Using the satirical art form of satire, which has always featured exaggeration and hyperbole, Bienkowski protested in a legitimate manner against the massive reduction of civil rights, in particular the recently revealed attacks on the privacy of (not only) German citizens by intercontinental interceptions. With his light installation, Mr. Bienkowski has put his finger into the wound, making a vital contribution to the public debate and public opinion.”