(LifeSiteNews) — Two Christian YouTubers in Germany are being investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for criticizing Islam.

The Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating two Christian YouTubers for criticizing Islamic “anti-Semitism” and Islamic religious texts in a YouTube video that had between 600 and 1,000 views before it was taken offline.

According to the authorities, their statements are alleged to have violated the ban on “insulting religious denominations, religious communities, and ideological associations.”

The maximum sentence under section 166 of the Criminal Code regarding insults to religious groups is three years in prison. However, these cases are usually punished by fines rather than prison time.

The two young men, who go by Niko and Tino, run the Christian YouTube channel Eternal Life, which has a little over 2,000 subscribers.

According to German Evangelical news outlet IDEA, the public prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into Niko because of statements he made in a video in 2024 that allegedly violated Section 166 of the Criminal Code regarding insults to religious groups.

Apollo News reported in April that the second man, Tino, is also under investigation in connection with the same video.

The YouTube video was called “Islam is not peace” and was published in December 2024. Tino told Apollo News that they took the video offline due to the legal proceedings, even though it had between 600 and 1,000 views.

According to Apollo News, the video begins with scenes from various pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Germany, including one in Berlin-Wedding.

“It’s the year 2024, and anti-Semitism is officially allowed again in Germany,” Niko said in the video.

He went on to say: “Palestinians are committed to the extermination of the Jews, as the hadiths instruct them.” The hadiths are collections of the deeds and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad that represent an important source of Islamic theology next to the Koran.

The YouTube video then quotes the following hadith: “The Last Hour will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews, and the Muslims will kill them until the Jews hide behind a tree or a rock.” (cf. Sahih Muslim 2922)

In the video, Tino said: “The hatred of Jews – the idea that one should kill Jews, that one is permitted to kill Jews – is a demonic spirit and does not come from God.”

Tino told Apollo News that he and Niko participate in a “missionary outreach” with their church once a month on Saturdays in Hamburg, where they tell people about Jesus. One Saturday, they encountered a pro-Palestinian demonstration where participants were calling for the destruction of Israel, which moved them to make the video.

With the video, they wanted to “stand with Israel” and draw attention to the fact that it is wrong to wish for the killing of people. They also tried to talk to participants in the demonstration, but said it was impossible.

The YouTube video goes on to say: “Islam and the message behind it bring only hatred, power, and murder. This religion is not peace, not joy, and not life. They are fighting for a dead message and for a dead God.”

They then show a clip from the Islamist demonstration in Hamburg organized by “Muslim Interaktiv,” which took place in 2024 and called for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.

READ: Muslims call to make Germany a ‘caliphate’ at large demonstration in Hamburg

They contrast this by stating that Jesus, through His Spirit, enables “true love, true peace” and empowers us to “practice true kindness toward our neighbor.”

The YouTuber’s lawyer said that both the context of the video and that of the entire channel show that it is “neither about incitement nor disparagement, but about defending and promoting one’s Christian faith.” He is therefore calling for the case to be dismissed.

“I don’t understand what they’re trying to investigate,” Tino told Apollo News. He and Niko were completely surprised by the case. He views the investigation as an “absolute restriction on freedom of speech.”

“People shouldn’t have to be afraid to speak their minds and profess their faith in Jesus Christ,” he concluded.