The German journalist Hüseyin Doğru, founder of red.media, was placed under European Union sanctions on 20 May 2025. He is accused of “systematically spreading false information about politically controversial topics, with the intention of sowing ethnic, political and religious discord among his predominantly German-speaking audience.” Hüseyin Doğru has not committed any crime. He has become the victim of political arbitrariness. In reality, this is a political sanction targeting his critical reporting, including his coverage of pro-Palestinian protests in Germany.
Sanctioning Hüseyin Doğru for alleged “systematic information manipulation” can only be seen as an attempt to intimidate independent journalists and as an attack on freedom of opinion. Even the procedure for issuing the sanctions does not follow the principles of the rule of law.
The consequences of this unlawful sanctions decision are severe: Hüseyin Doğru’s accounts are blocked. His assets are frozen. He is denied the right to freedom of movement that all EU residents enjoy. Minimal humanitarian benefits are only available on application and at the discretion of the authorities. Drastic restrictions apply to economic and even professional activity.
The EU sanctions against Hüseyin Doğru affect his entire family, including three young children. At one point, even his wife’s account was blocked — citing her marital proximity to him. External support is criminalised. Any solidarity with Hüseyin Doğru, his wife, or even his children — financial or in kind — can be prosecuted. We are witnessing the return of political justice.
The expert opinion of former European Court of Justice judge Prof. Dr. Ninon Colneric and legal scholar Prof. Dr. Alina Miron of the University of Angers concludes that the EU sanctions regulations violate applicable EU law. The EU is using sanctions decision 2024/2643 specifically to silence critics — and is in danger of sliding into lawlessness.
We call on the German federal government to no longer enforce the EU sanctions against its own citizens, and to vote in the Council of the European Union for the lifting of the sanctions.
Journalism is not a security risk. Censorship is not EU security policy.
Whoever sanctions freedom of opinion and press freedom in the EU breaks the German constitution and undermines democratic and constitutional norms in Germany and the EU.
First signatories
- Roger Water, Singer
- Kristinn Hrafnsson, Editor-in-Chief, WikiLeaks
- Yanis Varoufakis, Former Finance Minister of Greece
- Sevim Dagdelen, Publicist and former Member of the German Bundestag
- Claire Daly, Former Member of the European Parliament
- Jeremy Corbyn, Member of Parliament
- Owen Jones, Journalist
- Gregor Gysi, Member of the German Bundestag
- Ruth Firmenich, Member of the European Parliament
- Pablo Iglesias Turrión, Director of the Red television channel
- Dieter Hallervorden, Actor and cabaret artist
- Brian Eno, Musician
- Gabriel Shipton, Brother of Julian Assange and The Information Rights Project
- Evarist Bartolo, Former Foreign Minister
- Max Blumenthal, Journalist
- Sahra Wagenknecht, Publicist and former Member of the German Bundestag
- Michael von der Schulenburg, Member of the European Parliament and former UN Assistant Secretary-Genera
- Pascal Lottaz, Historian and political scientist
- Christoph Hein, Writer
- Günter Verheugen, Former EU Commissioner and Vice-President of the European Commission
You can sign the petition here.
