Markus Meechan could face up to a year in prison for a video he uploaded to YouTube.
In April of last year, Markus uploaded a video titled M8 Yer Dugs A Nazi to his YouTube channel Count Dankula.
The video, which has since garnered 2.5 million views, shows several clips of his girlfriend’s pug reacting to the words “gas the Jews”, watching videos of Adolf Hitler, and making what appears to be a Nazi salute. After being arrested over the video in May 2016, Markus has stated that the video was uploaded as a “joke to upset his girlfriend”.
A Scotland Police spokeswoman explained that Markus was arrested for “the publication of offensive material online (improper use of electronic communications under the Communications Act 2003)”.
Over the last year, Markus has posted several update videos to keep his followers informed on what is going on with his pending conviction and trial. His most recent upload, It’s Time, answered several frequently asked questions. At the time of the upload, the trial was set for 22 May 2017.
Since publishing the video, Markus announced on Twitter that the trial has been delayed:
The trial is most likely going to be delayed again. I won't have any information until after Monday.
— Count Dankula 🌐 (@CountDankulaTV) May 19, 2017
In an interview with Heat Street, Markus stated that he fears the judge will make an example out of him because of the press attention the video drew. “I’ve seen this happen before when people get dragged through the media,” he said. “The judge says, ‘Let’s completely fuck up this one person’s life so no-one does it again’.”
Officers said that the video has “been shared and viewed online, which ultimately has caused offense and hurt too many people in our community. There is no place for hate crimes in Scotland and police take all reported incidents seriously.”
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