From just €560 a month to frozen accounts and prison threats over baby food—how the EU and Germany are imposing total civil death on a German journalist and his family for naming the Gaza genocide.
Hüseyin Doğru, a German citizen of Turkish-Kurdish origin with exclusively German nationality, who lives in Berlin, is the first and so far only German citizen within Germany to be placed on the EU-Russia sanctions list.
Doğru was sanctioned on May 20, 2025, as part of the 17th EU sanctions package against Russia. The EU Council (27 foreign ministers) made this decision behind closed doors—without warning, without a hearing, without a trial, without access to evidence, and without any possibility of defense.
The fate of an upstanding man and his family is being decided behind closed doors—a procedure reminiscent of those used by totalitarian regimes.
Reasons Cited for the Sanctions
The official justification claims “close ties to Russian state actors and so-called state propaganda operators.” According to Doğru, the real trigger was his journalistic work as founder of the independent platform red.media, particularly his coverage of:
- Israel’s actions in Gaza (described as genocide in Palestine);
- The crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations and social protests across Europe;
- The German government’s role in these events; and
- The pro-Palestinian occupation at Humboldt University in Berlin.
- The EU’s logic: His reporting created “discord” among EU citizens and undermined EU stability.
Because only Russia could allegedly benefit from such coverage, this made him a “Russian disinformation propagandist.” The sanctions are explicitly described by the EU itself as a tool “to change the non-illegal behaviour” of a person, i.e., to force alignment with EU foreign policy interests even when no crime has been committed.
Immediate and Ongoing Effects of the Sanctions
Sanctions are extrajudicial punishment with reversed burden of proof: Doğru must prove his innocence. All civil liberties were stripped overnight:
- Bank accounts frozen (except a roughly €560–600/month humanitarian minimum allowance);
- No normal access to money—he can only withdraw the small allowance in cash via a special app at certain shops; no card, no ATM, no transfers;
- Inability to pay lawyers, bills, rent, or contracts signed before the sanctions;
- Restricted freedom of movement and work; and
- No right to challenge the decision in a normal court beforehand.
The EU claims human rights are protected because he can appeal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ); practically, however, this is impossible without funds to hire lawyers.
Recent German Court Ruling (Key Legal Precedent)
Doğru’s bank refused to process even the small humanitarian allowance for basic necessities (rent, food, bills, telecommunications). He sued in a German court. The court ruled:
- These payments are not “basic needs”;
- Any negative financial or legal consequences (debts, possible jail for unpaid bills) are simply “part of the sanctions”;
- The court explicitly acknowledged harm but stated it does not matter.
This decision illustrates how EU sanctions override German constitutional protections. German authorities refer complainants to the EU level; the EU refers back to Germany, creating a “legal black hole.” Doğru’s lawyers note that even a former ECJ judge’s expert report concluded the sanctions violate every fundamental law in EU member states and are outside judicial control.
Latest Escalations
Wife’s accounts frozen: His wife (not sanctioned, no involvement) had her savings and all bank accounts frozen by Germany’s Central Office for Sanctions Enforcement (ZfS, subordinate to the Finance/Economy Ministry)—with no court order.
- Reasons given: (1) She is married to him and they have three children (proof of “close ties” and alleged circumvention); (2) She now pays car insurance for their shared family car (previously paid by Doğru), which is deemed “suspicious.”
- The decision has been criticized as sexist: It assumes the husband controls the wife’s money.
- Result: The family of five (Doğru, wife, nearly seven-year-old child, and two newborns) now survives on roughly €560 per month total. They had only about €104 left when the freeze happened. Rent cannot be paid; groceries are impossible. Doğru states the German government is deliberately putting the lives of his babies in danger.
New German Sanctions Implementation Law (mid-January 2026)
Germany passed uniquely aggressive legislation (described by Doğru’s lawyer as “made extra for you”). It is the strictest in Europe:
- Any support for Doğru’s family, e.g., giving nappies, baby food, or paying rent directly, can be interpreted as “circumvention” and punishable by up to ten years in prison.
- The law is deliberately vague, so almost any assistance falls under it.
- Doğru warns supporters: Do not send money, gifts or direct aid—it will be used against both giver and recipient.
Using Hunger Against Him: The Threat of Losing His Children
- Child protective services: German law allows removal of children if parents cannot provide for their safety and health. Doğru and his wife are now in this situation; authorities could legally take the children.
- Self-incrimination trap: Speaking publicly about the humanitarian crisis gives authorities more “evidence” to escalate.
From a Journalist to All Critics: The EU’s Strategy of Intimidation Through Sanctions and Preemptive Obedience
Doğru describes his case as a deliberate test case for “internal” EU sanctions against citizens inside Europe (previous cases mostly involved people outside the EU). Germany and France are seen as driving forces. The goal:
- Create a precedent to intimidate journalists, activists and critics.
- Prepare legal and institutional machinery across the EU for suppressing dissent.
- Align with Germany’s push for militarization, war preparation (e.g., parts of the car industry shifting toward military production), and economic restructuring.
This fits a pattern of:
- Gleichschaltung (“synchronization”—Nazi-era term for forcing institutions into line).
- Vorauseilender Gehorsam (anticipatory obedience), a typical German term for preemptively obeying perceived authority.
Journalist trade unions to which Doğru belongs (DJU, VDA) have refused support. They participated in pre-sanction smear campaigns (labeling him “Russian agent,” “terror supporter,” etc.) and now align with the German Foreign Ministry’s narrative. Mainstream media largely stay silent; only a few independent journalists cover it.
Originally a sympathizer of the Nazi Party, Protestant Pastor Martin Niemöller became one of Hitler’s most outspoken public opponents. He was imprisoned from 1938 to 1945, first in Sachsenhausen and later in Dachau concentration camp, narrowly escaping execution because he was too well-known to be killed quietly.
He wrote this poem as a stark warning to future generations: that evil can return—something we are witnessing in Europe right now.
Legal Strategy and Outlook
- Currently before the European General Court (decision expected in 2-3 months). Doğru expects to lose on “procedural” grounds (no mistakes in the political process).
- Next: European Court of Justice (1-3 years).
- Later options: European Court of Human Rights (Strasbourg) or UN mechanisms.
- Problem: Court cases are extremely expensive (€150k-300k+), and rulings are often ignored (examples: ECJ lifting Russian sanctions that member states refuse to implement; Germany ignoring the ICC warrant for Netanyahu).
- The EU Council can simply rewrite the justification and restart the process.
How to Support/Call to Action
Direct financial or material help is legally dangerous. Recommended actions:
- Send protest letters/emails to politicians and trade unions in your country.
- Demand an independent investigation and repeal of the sanctions regime.
- Build political movements against the entire sanctions system (some MEPs and others are already organizing).
- Research independently; do not believe any side blindly.
- Speak out for principles of free speech and journalism—this affects everyone.
Doğru emphasizes this is not only his case but a test for all critical voices. Other examples mentioned include:
- Nathalie Yamb (Swiss-Cameroonian activist, sanctioned and banned from the EU);
- Jacques Baud (former Swiss intelligence officer and colonel, sanctioned while living in Brussels);
- Shahin Hazamy (French-Iranian journalist raided by anti-terror police); and
- Various debanking cases of activists and organizations.
There is already support that reaches across ideological lines. The former president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maassen, a conservative jurist, has criticized the measures as political repression that can only be resolved through political means.
Europe’s New Authoritarianism Does Not Need Tanks or Dictators—Just Sanctions and Silence. The time to Defend Free Speech for All Is Now
These political sanctions are part of a new authoritarian mechanism in Europe: economic crisis + political repression + institutional synchronization, without needing old-style dictatorship.
Defending free speech in Germany and the rest of Europe now, even for uncomfortable voices, is essential—waiting until it reaches “50% of the population” will be too late. There is some hope in principled people across the political spectrum who still defend the right to speak, even if they disagree with the content.
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About the Author
Felix Abt is the author of “A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom” and of “A Land of Prison Camps, Starving Slaves and Nuclear Bombs?”
He can be reached via his Twitter account.
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