German pop singer and former adult film star Melanie Mueller is facing charges from the prosecutor’s office in Leipzig after she allegedly ‘repeatedly’ displayed a Nazi salute during a public performance in the German city last year, local media outlets reported this week.
Prosecutors have accused Mueller of performing the salute during a live concert in September after video footage distributed online appeared to show the 34-year-old repeatedly raising her arm in a manner similar to the fascist salute.
The footage also purportedly shows members of the audience giving the Hitler salute – with some appearing to be heard shouting “Sieg Heil.” According to German media outlet RTL News, Mueller was charged on Wednesday for promoting “unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.” Police also searched Mueller’s residence in Leipzig last year, Tagesspiegel reported on Wednesday.
The public prosecutor will now decide if it will bring formal charges against Mueller. If she is convicted, the entertainer faces a maximum of three years in prison.
The former adult film star, who has previously performed in x-rated movies under the stage name Scarlet Young, has denied the accusations, and says that she was merely gesturing with her arms in a manner designed to get the audience excited during the event. She has also denied any links to extremist or far-right organizations.
In August of last year, Mueller was the subject of criticism after she attended a boxing event held by a group with links to far-right extremism, according to Der Spiegel. She later explained her attendance by saying she was an “enthusiastic boxing fan” and that she was “invited there” to what she assumed was a charity event.
It has been illegal to perform a Nazi salute in Germany since shortly after the Second World War. Visitors to the country are periodically arrested by authorities in the country for displaying the fascist gesture. In 2022, three English football fans were detained by police in Munich for showing a Nazi salute before a match in the city.