Specifically, it was about an appearance by Rosams on the broadcaster oe24.at last autumn, where he repeated rumors that the FPÖ boss, contrary to his own statements, could already be vaccinated against COVID-19. According to “Falter” (online), the Vienna Commercial Court rejected Kickl’s request for injunctive relief and revocation.
Rosam said on the air that he had heard a rumor about Kickl: “There are very bad tongues, I have to be careful what I say now, I’m not saying it’s like that, but I heard him would have been vaccinated.” Kickl countered this with a publicly presented negative antibody test – and the lawsuit for defamatory and credit-damaging statements.
“The limits of permissible criticism of politicians in the performance of their public office are generally wider than those of private individuals, because politicians inevitably and knowingly expose themselves to the scrutiny of their words and actions by the press and the general public. Politicians must therefore have a higher degree of tolerance, especially when they themselves make public statements that are likely to attract criticism,” the “Falter” quoted from the judgment. In addition, Rosam himself admitted that the rumor came from “evil tongues”: “With this, the defendant has also undoubtedly expressed that it is merely a rumor about the plaintiff, that he does not identify himself with him and neither does he does not claim or know if this rumor is true.”
The judgment is not final. Kickl can appeal against it.
Source: Nachrichten
