EU sanctions pro-Palestine journalist: a dangerous escalation

In an extraordinary escalation of the repression against the international Palestine movement, journalist and founder of red. media Hüseyin Doğru has been made a non-person by the European Commission. The nature of the sanction levelled against Doğru really is extraordinary. In effect, with this action the European Commission has given itself the right to completely negate any individual’s democratic and human rights.

For the past two weeks, Doğru has been stripped of many of his most basic rights. His bank accounts are frozen, and he is forbidden from travelling and making monetary transactions of any kind. He has been rendered unable to support his own existence, or that of his young children. He has even warned others that anyone giving him gifts of food would put them in violation of EU sanctions.

All of this has been carried out without charge, without trial or evidence, and without the possibility of appeal, despite the fact that Doğru is a full legal citizen of Germany.

In justifying this sanction, the EU has apparently pointed to Doğru’s journalism and specifically his coverage and support of the Palestine movement. This is a brazen attack on the pro-Palestine movement – but it is only the thin end of the wedge. If uncontested, this method will be used for suppressing anyone that an EU state believes to be subversive.

This scandalous attack has been met with silence from the majority of the organised labour movement, in Germany and the rest of Europe. In fact, according to Doğru, the move has even been supported by several trade union representatives.

Exhibit ‘R’

Doğru is accused of being a supporter of Russia, spreading disinformation with the aim to  “threaten stability and security in the [European] Union and in one or several of its Member States”. The media outlet of which he is the leading member, red., is alleged to have “close financial and organisational connections with Russian state propaganda entities and actors”.

One would think that there has been some kind of investigation exposing these secret links. However, there is no such evidence. It is for precisely this reason that the sanctions on Doğru have been carried out by the European Commission in this extraordinary manner. There is no formal charge, and therefore no evidence is required. Furthermore, as it is the EC imposing the sanction rather than the German state, it is impossible for Doğru to contest the sanctions in a court of law. 

What have been Doğru's activities as an alleged Russian agent? 

The ‘evidence’ the EC has sent to Doğru and his lawyer mostly amount to a mere handful of social media posts from red., as well as Doğru’s personal account.

The posts include a statement of the historical fact that Nazis were admitted into high-ranking positions in NATO countries, shortly after its founding; the reporting of a law passed in the German parliament; a video characterising the Ukraine war as a proxy war; a captioned picture of a peaceful anti-fascist protest in the UK… Apologies to the spy novel enthusiasts. 

As Doğru explains, in the ‘exhibits’ given by the EC, there is “[n]ot a single word, let alone evidence or proof (not even falsified ones) about my alleged financial ties to ‘Russian state propaganda’ apparatus - which is the whole basis of me being sanctioned.”

The allegations of red.’s Russian ties were put forward without evidence by the outlet Tagesspiegel, which were followed by equally baseless hit-pieces in Die Tageszeitung (taz) and The Jerusalem Post, in what can be described as nothing less than a smear campaign. 

And these articles were then cited as ‘evidence’ by the EC! Through something bearing a close resemblance to transubstantiation, what were at first merely ‘questions’ about ‘possible’ ties have now been converted into facts!

In fact, red. has openly criticised Russia, which it characterises as an imperialist power. Doğru was, however, a former employee of Redfish, which was owned by Berlin-based Ruptly TV, a subsidiary of the Russian state media outlet RT. Voilà!

But as Doğru explains, if this makes him a pro-Russian agent, then the same would apply to Gemma Terés Arilla, former producer at Ruptly TV and now the director of the taz Panter Foundation – an arm of taz!

‘Russian disinformation’ is being invoked as a convenient legal cover for the political suppression of a consistent opponent of Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinian people. The EU has been developing and strengthening legal mechanisms for suppressing ‘Russian disinformation’ since 2014, which it has ramped up since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

A show of weakness

However, the accusations against Doğru are also very revealing. It is an open admission by the European ruling class that the mere act of reporting on events taking place can, in their own words, “threaten stability and security in the Union”.

This is highlighted by the attacks on red.’s coverage of pro-Palestine protests, and the brutal repression meted out by the German state on activists. This coverage is alleged to be providing a platform for Hamas – in reality, the crime is that they have been shining a light on events that the establishment would rather be kept in the dark.

Another piece of ‘evidence’ used against red. is their criticism of a statement made by a CDU politician for his statement that ‘Bio-Germans’ are more diligent than ‘Turkish migrants’. The EC cites this as disinformation – despite it being captured on video!

What this amounts to is an attempt by the European ruling class to criminalise reporting that isn’t pro-government, pro-zionist, and pro-imperialist.

Despite appearances, this sanction on Doğru is a display of weakness from the European ruling class. By attacking truthful reporting on events, they are admitting that the system is in crisis beyond their control.

In reality, it is not the interference of outside actors – whether the Russian state, journalists, and so on – that are the cause of Europe’s increasing destabilisation, but the deep, organic crisis of capitalism on a global scale.

The ruling class in Europe are seeing the elements of explosive class struggle coming together before their eyes, and are feeling their grip on the situation become increasingly slippery. Hence why the ruling class is sharpening its tools of state repression, in preparation for battles to come. 

Not one inch!

Scandalously, the organised labour movement in Germany has largely been silent on Doğru’s sanction.

To make things as plain as possible: to criticise the government, even merely to report on factual events and statements, is being criminalised, without the regard to even the most basic of human rights. In fact, this is worse than criminalisation – a criminal still has certain rights, due process and legal recourse.

The organised labour movement must vigorously respond to this attack.

Comrades of the Revolutionary Communist International in Germany have also come under attack for taking a principled stand on the question of Palestine. Two comrades of the Revolutionäre Kommunistische Partei (RKP) were taken to court for carrying a banner with the slogan ‘intifada until victory’ at a protest. Similarly to Doğru, the attacks against them began as a baseless accusation, which stated that the slogan praised the 7 October attack. 

After escalating into legal action, the comrades were presented with the opportunity to concede with a penalty, or drop the slogan. However, by conceding, the word ‘intifada’ would de facto be made illegal. The comrades instead waged an energetic counter-offensive, which led to acquittal. This was a victory not only for them but for the Palestine movement as a whole.

This lesson is of vital importance. We must not concede one inch on the question of our right to express political opinions.

The campaign for solidarity with Hüseyin Doğru must be taken up energetically by the labour movement across Europe!

An injury to one is an injury to all!

Intifada until victory!