Chinese tourists making Hitler salutes leave Germany without criminal punishment

BERLIN -- The two Chinese tourists gesturing Hitler salutes in Berlin have left Germany without further criminal punishment, the Chinese Embassy said Monday, urging tourists to respect history and learn basic laws of their travel destinations.

The two tourists, two men aged 36 and 49, respectively, were caught by Berlin officers on a routine on Saturday, when they were snapping mobile phone pictures of each other and posing Hitler salute gestures outside the historic landmark Reichstag parliament complex in the center of Berlin.

Zhou Anping, counselor of the Consulate Division of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, told Xinhua that each of the two tourists have been fined for 500 euros and were released by the police.

Zhou added that the 500-euro fine was not bail and no further criminal punishment would be given. They might have already arrived in Italy on Monday.

The Berlin police told Xinhua that they are not banned from visiting Germany again in the future.

Germany has strict laws on hate speeches and symbols linked to Adolf Hitler, a notorious figure in the Second World War, and his Nazi Party.

It is not the first time that Chinese tourists were caught for posing Hitler-linked gestures. In 2013, a Chinese tourist was arrested for making Hitler salutes in Austria.

Zhou urged Chinese visitors to respect history and learn basic laws of their destinations to avoid such offenses.

The two Chinese tourists were widely mocked and criticized in China. Many accused the two of lacking basic knowledge of history about the Nazis and Hitler.

"They deserved punishment!" A person with an account named "2sxiong" said on Twitter-like Chinese social media Weibo.

"Shame on them!" said another Weibo user "renzidaoguolainianya."