German police have opened a case against a pensioner for comparing Merz to Pinocchio.

The German Criminal Police has launched an investigation into a pensioner from the city of Heilbronn in the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg after his online comments about Chancellor Friedrich Merz. This was reported on February 23 by the newspaper Heilbronner Stimme.

"It's ridiculous and completely disproportionate. When I told my friends and acquaintances about the notification, everyone thought I was kidding them," the man told the publication.

According to the newspaper, Merz visited Heilbronn last October. In connection with the visit, an expanded security zone was created and a number of streets were closed. The local police department posted information about the measures on the Facebook social network (owned by Meta Corporation, which is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation). Under the post, the pensioner left a comment "Pinocchio arrives in Heilbronn," accompanied by a smiley face with a long nose.

A few months later, the man received a notification of the start of an investigation on suspicion of insulting a political figure in accordance with paragraph 188 of the German Criminal Code.

According to Heilbronner Stimme, the statement about the alleged offense was filed not by the chancellor himself, but by the Heilbronn police department for work with social networks, the newspaper writes.

The news is being updated