EU upholds sanctions against journalist Hüseyin Doğru over alleged Russian ties

The EU has rejected a request from Hüseyin Doğru, founder of the video media portal Red, to revise a measure imposed on him as part of the 17th sanctions package against Russia.

According to a report in Junge Welt, journalist Doğru was placed on the EU sanctions list on May 20, 2024, and has been effectively banned from working since then.

In a statement on X on Wednesday, Doğru said he was “shocked” and described the EU Council’s decision as “dangerous” for press freedom.

Doğru stated that for this reason, he felt compelled to publish the justification for the decision, despite it being prohibited.

In a letter dated September 1, EU officials insist on the allegations made when the sanctions were imposed, claiming that the Red portal maintains “close financial and organizational ties” with actors “involved in Russian state propaganda.”

The decision also reiterates claims that Red published false information, including Hamas narratives, and provided a “special media platform” for “anti-Israel insurgents.”

According to Doğru, the “evidence package” presented by the EU Council consists of posts from his personal X channel, which are mostly opinion pieces.

Among these posts is a criticism of German media outlets, trade unions, and NGOs for refusing to address Doğru’s “extrajudicial execution.” Additionally, there is a commentary on the warmongering of the German “capitalist class.”

Prominent among the list of claims intended to prove that Doğru spread “disinformation” is a post about Nazi officers like Adolf Heusinger, who rose to high ranks in NATO after World War II.

According to Doğru’s preliminary assessment, as reported by Junge Welt, the EU Council has provided “no evidence, not even fake evidence,” for his alleged connection to Russia.

According to Doğru, this is further proof that he is being pressured because of his reporting on the suppression of pro-Palestinian protests.