The Justice Committee of Thuringia's state parliament on Friday said it was prepared to lift Björn Höcke's parliamentary immunity after a complaint about the unauthorized use of an image on his Facebook page.

The decision paves the way for prosecutors to investigate Höcke, who is accused of exploiting a picture of 28-year-old Sophia Lösche, who was killed in June, for his own political purposes. Chemnitz prosecutors said they had filed a request with parliament for a preliminary investigation.

Lösche's parents filed a complaint against Höcke at the end of September over photos that he published of their daughter on his Facebook page without their agreement.

Under German law, an individual's consent is required if their pictures are published or exhibited. If the person has died, their next of kin must give permission.

Enlarged photos of victims

Lösche's image was among several used by anti-immigrant protesters at a "funeral march" in the city of Chemnitz. The march was called after the killing of 35-year-old Daniel H., for which a Syrian man is currently in custody and an Iraqi suspect is still at large. Another Iraqi man who had been taken into custody after the killing has since been released without charge.

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The victims' photographs were blown up into large format and paraded along the street. Photos of the demonstration appeared on Höcke's Facebook page.

How the Chemnitz protests unfolded Death sparks demonstrations The demonstrations were sparked by a deadly brawl that broke out in the German city of Chemnitz in the early hours of Sunday (August 26). What started out as a war of words resulted in a 35-year-old man being stabbed to death. Hours later, spontaneous, anti-migrant protests took over the streets of Chemnitz.

How the Chemnitz protests unfolded German-Cuban killed A German-Cuban man was stabbed in an altercation involving 10 people, several of whom were of "various nationalities," police sources said. The victim, named only as Daniel H., was apparently well-known among various political groups in the area. Two men in their 30s were also stabbed and seriously injured, and a 22-year-old Iraqi and 23-year-old Syrian are in custody over the killing.

How the Chemnitz protests unfolded Police reinforcements called By Sunday afternoon, some 800 people had gathered to protest the man's death, including far-right groups. Authorities said the crowd was largely uncooperative and threw bottles at police officers. Police reinforcements had to be called in from nearby cities. The mobilizations were spontaneous and are thought to have surfaced following calls to demonstrate on social media.

How the Chemnitz protests unfolded Misinformation German authorities said that that far-right groups spread misinformation on the internet. Among the false claims was that the victim of the knife attack died protecting a woman.

How the Chemnitz protests unfolded Protests and counterprotests Thousands of far-right and counterdemonstrators faced off in a second day of protest Monday. Several people were injured as objects and fireworks were hurled. Video footage showed the far-right "Pro Chemnitz" movement holding a banner with a quote from early 20th century poet Anton Günther reading "German and free we aim to be."

How the Chemnitz protests unfolded 'No place for Nazis' Counter-demonstrators denouncing right-wing extremism also took to the streets of Chemnitz. Among the protesters were Antifa, who clashed with right-wing demonstrators. Author: Louisa Wright



In their complaint, Lösche's parents claim that Höcke — seen as one of the AfD's more extreme members — exploited their daughter's image for his own political purposes.

Höcke called the allegations completely unfounded. "I posted photos on my Facebook of the demonstration that I attended. That is to say, I documented a public event on my Facebook page. There's nothing more to add."

Killed while hitchhiking

Lösche, who was a member of the youth wing of Germany's center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and a volunteer who worked with refugees, went missing in June while cycling and hitchhiking from the eastern city of Leipzig to her home in northern Bavaria.

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A Moroccan truck driver was arrested in Spain, south of Madrid, in connection with the killing after police followed GPS tracking of the vehicle. The remains of Lösche — who had sent a picture of the vehicle license plate to her family — were found in the Basque region of Spain.

A week after Lösche's murder — long before the Chemnitz protest — her brother Andreas lamented that her death was being used to spread racist messages. In October, he was interviewed by the German magazine Cicero about hate mail that had been sent to the family.

Paragraph 22 of the German copyright law prohibits the publication or dissemination of images of people without their consent if the depicted persons can be recognized.

The law on photography came into effect in 1907 after two photographers took pictures of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck on his deathbed.

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