Satire, scandal and the Middle East: How an Instagram post became the basis for a criminal case in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is in the midst of a rare conflict at the intersection of politics, free speech and digital satire. Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel has filed a criminal complaint over an ironic Instagram post that he believes overstepped the bounds of what is acceptable.

On 26 September 2025, the account of the independent online magazine déi aner ("others") posted a collage depicting Bettel in a Palestinian kufiya, with added make-up, a tie in the colours of the Palestinian flag and the caption "DO NOT TRUST HER", a quote from the cult teen comedy Mean Girls (2004). This visual language is a mockery of Bettel's gender identity while at the same time taking a hard jab at his stance on the Gaza conflict.

According to media reports, Gabrielle Antar, a former journalist, activist and former head of the National Council of Women, may be behind the publication. She claims she did not create the image, but took responsibility for its dissemination. The publication déi aner itself describes itself as "an alternative web magazine with a focus on youth and the marginalised" and emphasises that the post is a form of political satire protected by freedom of expression.

The collective said that the image criticised Bettel's position on Israel and Gaza, in particular the accusations of pinkwashing (as the state's attempts to use progressive LGBT policies to divert attention from human rights violations, in this case against Palestinians). According to them, they would have been ready to remove the post if personally contacted by the minister, but such contact did not take place.

In the meantime, the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry said that the complaint had been forwarded to the prosecutor's office, but the prosecutor's office claimed that it had not yet officially received it. Thus, an investigation has not yet been launched and it remains unclear whether the case will fall under the definition of a criminal offence under Luxembourg law.

Xavier Bettel, for his part, has publicly called Antar "radicalised", and has promised that any compensation awarded in his favour will be channelled to the anti-radicalisation platform Respect.lu.

However, the Instagram post was only the tip of the iceberg. In recent months, Bettel has been increasingly criticised by activists, especially after the escalating situation in Gaza. In early October, another incident occurred: while dining with Democratic Party (DP) colleagues in a Luxembourg terrace, activists publicly accused the minister of supporting the Gaza genocide and demanded a reaction to the arrest of Nora Rosa Fellens Huberty, a Luxembourg-based activist detained by the Israeli military for participating in the pro-Palestine Global Sumud Flotilla initiative. A video of the clash quickly went viral on social media.

The situation has put the government in an awkward position. On the one hand, Bettel is one of Luxembourg's most public politicians, known for his progressive agenda, including LGBT rights. On the other hand, his stance on Israel and his indecisiveness on Gaza have been heavily criticised by new media and activists who perceive his silence as political complicity.