Approximately eighteen months ago, on December 4, 2021, anti-vaccine demonstrations spiralled out of control. A group of protesters unlawfully gained entry to the Christmas Market, where the 3G rule (vaccinated, tested, or recovered) was in effect.
Later that day, a crowd gathered outside the residences of Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Minister for Family Affairs Corinne Cahen to protest. Not all participants remained peaceful.
Three individuals faced sentencing at the Luxembourg City Court last Friday in connection with these incidents.
They were indicted, among other things, for insulting the Prime Minister. Two of the men, aged 25 and 33, threw eggs at the PM’s house. During the trial, the defendants showed remorse for their actions.
The judge handed down a sentence of 120 hours of community service and imposed a €500 fine on each perpetrator. The individual responsible for bringing the eggs was considered the instigator of the act, according to the representative of the public prosecutor’s office. Consequently, the 46-year-old received a sentence of 200 hours of community service and a fine of €1,000. The three defendants have 40 days to appeal.
In a separate case, another verdict was reached on Wednesday afternoon involving a 33-year-old anti-vaxxer. The man had insulted the Prime Minister on social media, considering Xavier Bettel the main person responsible for the introduction of Covid-19 measures.
Some of the images he posted equated the treatment of unvaccinated individuals with the persecution of Jews during World War II. Furthermore, several posts, which were still visible during the trial, trivialised the Shoah.
The defendant claimed to have forgotten the password to his account.
The judges imposed a one-year suspended sentence along with a five-year suspension with probation. During this time, the defendant must fulfil certain requirements, such as obtaining employment or participating in a training course. The man has 40 days to appeal.
