BERLIN — A German doctor was sentenced late Monday to two years and nine months in prison for illegally issuing mask-wearing exemptions to more than 4,000 people during the coronavirus pandemic.
A regional court in the southwestern city of Weinheim confirmed on Tuesday that the doctor was convicted of “issuing false health certificates” to people from across Germany, most of whom she had never met or examined.
In addition to the prison sentence, she was banned from working for three years and ordered to pay 28,000 euros ($29,550), the sum she received for the issuance of medical certificates. Her office assistant was fined €2,700.
“The process is more reminiscent of a sale of certificates than a medical intervention,” the court said in a statement. It noted that she was not accused of providing certificates to her existing patients.
During the trial, the defendant had argued that wearing masks was harmful to health.
The doctor’s lawyer wants to appeal the verdict, the public broadcaster SWR reported.
Dozens of supporters gathered outside the Weinheim courthouse, north of Heidelberg, to protest the verdict and the pandemic restrictions in Germany.
Germany last year ended mask requirements in many indoor spaces, although they are still mandatory on long-distance trains, in doctor’s offices, hospitals, nursing homes and some regional public transport.