Fake News Videos Accuse Left Politician Eric Stehr of Murder and Sex Parties Ahead of Saxony-Anhalt Election

Ahead of the upcoming Landtag elections in Saxony-Anhalt, false reports and lies about politicians are circulating on social media, often spreading at breakneck speed. A Deutsche Welle investigation has linked many of these fabricated contents to the Russian hacking group Storm-1516. Eric Stehr, a candidate for The Left party based in Weißenfels, is among the most affected. In a conversation with the newspaper Der Freitag, he recounts the most extreme falsehoods, including allegations that he murdered his grandmother and hosted 'LGBTQ+ sex parties' at university. He also reflects on the reactions from his personal environment and offers his own theory about why exactly he became a target. The interview appears in the current issue of Der Freitag, where Stehr says some people genuinely believed the videos. This case underscores the personal impact of coordinated disinformation on individuals ahead of the vote.