The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression carried out an official country visit to Germany from 26 January to 6 February 2026.
In this report, she identifies major trends affecting freedom of expression in Germany, including increasing polarization of society, chilling of speech, and an upsurge in antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate speech against migrants and minorities. While acknowledging Germany’s strong constitutional protection of human rights, a robust, independent judiciary, diverse media and initiatives in the digital sphere, she expresses concern about excessive use of the criminal law to restrict freedom of expression, especially in the context of Palestine and climate related advocacy and activism. She encourages the Government to carry out legal and policy reforms to strengthen freedom of expression in line with international human rights standards and, working with civil society and other relevant stakeholders, combat antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of hate speech, invest in digital and media literacy and other measures to expand safe and pluralistic spaces online and offline for all.