Story highlights PEGIDA leader Lutz Bachman convicted of inciting hatred

Anti-immigrant feelings have been on rise in Germany, once an oasis for refugees

(CNN) A German court has convicted the founder of an anti-immigrant group of hate speech.

Lutz Bachmann, who once posed as Adolf Hitler in a selfie and coined verse about the Ku Klux Klan, was found guilty Tuesday of inciting hate speech on Facebook, said Birgit Kleeve, spokesperson for the district court in Dresden, Germany.

Bachmann was first charged last October of posting Facebook comments describing refugees, mostly Muslims, as "cattle," "filth" and "scum."

He was sentenced to a fine of €9,600. He will not face prison.

The court said Bachmann openly insulted the human dignity of refugees who came to Germany from war-torn countries, maliciously acting and inciting hatred against them.

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