Jan Böhmermann's "Magazin Royale" Sparks Scandal: Program Complaint from Police Unionist After Controversial Statements!
The dispute ignited over a controversial episode of "Magazin Royale" in March. Böhmermann dealt with the Federal Admission Program (BAP) for Afghanistan. He made a wild speculation: German federal police officers could be deliberately sabotaging the program because they "find it crap." He speculated that mistakes were being made intentionally, suggesting that the greatest security risk might not be the Afghans, but rather these police officers. Böhmermann supported this speculation with references to "internal documents," witness statements, and cell phone contents that only he knew.
Particularly spicy: Böhmermann personally targeted Manuel Ostermann. He insulted the officer as a "three-quarters filled punching bag," a "master race man in a Skoda," and joked about his "blitzkrieg hairstyle." He even called him a "self-radicalized Michel from Lönneberga." Such words leave no one cold, especially not the person affected.
For Ostermann, this was apparently the straw that broke the camel's back. He feels deeply defamed and associated with right-wing extremists. "Böhmermann cannot be allowed to do whatever he wants," he emphasized in an interview. The accusations and insults have apparently hit him hard.
The program complaint filed by his lawyer Ralf Höcker is almost 30 pages long and lists numerous journalistic failings of ZDF from their perspective. Höcker announced on X that they will "turn up the heat on the agitator Böhmermann." And Ostermann himself hints that this complaint is only the first step. Further consequences could follow.
The Federal Admission Program for Afghanistan, which was the subject of the show, started in 2022. It is intended to help particularly endangered Afghan men and women who have advocated for democracy and human rights and are being persecuted by the Taliban. Up to 1,000 admissions per month were planned. But the reality was different: By November 2024, only 3,055 people had received approval, and of those, only 734 had actually entered Germany. And even in the spring of 2025, around 2,800 people are still waiting to enter despite approval. A complicated and sensitive topic that Böhmermann has now further fueled with his satire.
ZDF must now officially respond to the serious allegations. Jan Böhmermann himself remains silent about the whole affair. It remains to be seen how this media scandal will develop and whether Böhmermann has really gone too far this time. One thing is certain: The headlines are guaranteed!
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.
