Arrest warrant issued for AfD MP Krah over 296 euros in unpaid Böhmermann court costs
An arrest warrant has been issued for AfD Bundestag member Maximilian Krah by the Chemnitz district court after he failed to pay 296.26 euros in remaining court costs from his lost lawsuit against satirist Jan Böhmermann over a champagne claim.
The champagne dispute
The legal battle between AfD Bundestag member Maximilian Krah and satirist Jan Böhmermann has been running for nearly two years, according to n-tv. It began over a listener's message read on Böhmermann's podcast "Fest und Flauschig." The message claimed Krah had ordered 200 bottles of champagne for the entire Käfer-Zelt at the Munich Oktoberfest. Krah filed an injunction lawsuit at the Landgericht Düsseldorf, arguing such a claim suggested "Großspurigkeit, Selbstdarstellung und ein starkes Geltungsbedürfnis" and could affect his personality rights (Persönlichkeitsrecht). The court dismissed the case, noting that Böhmermann had merely been reading a listener's submission and had quickly corrected the figure to "rund 50" bottles based on his own research. No violation of Krah's personality rights was found.
Unpaid costs and enforcement
Krah did not pay the court costs voluntarily after losing the case. Böhmermann had to collect approximately 5,000 euros through enforcement proceedings (Vollstreckungsverfahren). Krah transferred the money early in the year via his son's bank account, telling t-online at the time: "Ich habe gezockt," meaning he wanted to pay as late as possible. An additional 296.26 euros remained outstanding, bringing the matter back to court.
- Collected via enforcement
- 5000 €
- Outstanding
- 296.26 €
Arrest warrant and immunity
In mid-July 2026, a bailiff (Gerichtsvollzieherin) in Chemnitz scheduled a meeting for Krah to provide a statement of assets (Vermögensauskunft). Krah did not appear. The bailiff then filed a request for an arrest warrant, which the Amtsgericht Chemnitz issued. A court spokesperson confirmed the proceedings but declined to comment on the outcome, citing the non-public nature of the case. The Chemnitz court has jurisdiction because Krah's electoral district (Wahlkreis) is located there. The court is now examining whether Krah's parliamentary immunity as a Bundestag member needs to be lifted for the warrant to be enforced.
- Böhmermann reads listener message claiming Krah ordered 200 champagne bottles at Oktoberfest
- Böhmermann corrects figure to 'rund 50' bottles based on research
- Landgericht Düsseldorf dismisses Krah's injunction lawsuit
- Krah pays approximately 5,000 euros via son's account after enforcement
- Krah fails to appear for asset disclosure appointment with bailiff in Chemnitz
- Amtsgericht Chemnitz confirmed to have issued arrest warrant against Krah
Reactions from both sides
Böhmermann's lawyer Sebastian Gorski criticized Krah's conduct in pointed terms.
Deutschland ist ein Rechtsstaat, und es kann nicht sein, dass sich ein Bundestagsabgeordneter und Volljurist seinen gesetzlichen Verpflichtungen entzieht.
Krah told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur he had already paid in January and asked his lawyer to clarify the remaining amount.
Offenbar geht es um einen zusätzlichen Kleinbetrag an Kosten, den ich nun zahlen werde.
He added that he considers Böhmermann "einen Widerling" and pays only after review, with "Rückforderung bleibt vorbehalten." Speaking to Spiegel, Krah said he was surprised by "ständig Forderungen" being "nachgeschoben," and that he had "keine Kenntnis" of the bailiff's appointment. Deutsche Welle also notes that Böhmermann was previously involved in a legal case with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over a satirical poem read on television in 2016. The Mainz prosecutor's office later dropped the investigation, and the statute criminalizing insult of a foreign head of state (Section 103) was subsequently repealed.
