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Foreign.

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The German journalist Hussein Daru, because of his reporting on the genocide in Gaza, has been hit with draconian sanctions. Since May 2025, he has been banned from leaving Germany or re entering. If he somehow managed to leave, he has been forced to surrender his identity card. His bank account has been frozen. He's prohibited from working, although he's allowed €506 per month to survive. The German Bundestag passed legislation targeting anyone, directly or indirectly, who provides money or other resources to a person on the sanctions list. Offenses are punishable with up to five years imprisonment. And because these sanctions are defined as an administrative measure within the EU's bureaucracy, he cannot appeal to a German court. This imposition of civil death is a familiar tactic used to cripple and silence dissidents. It was used against Paul Robeson and Julian Assange. It has seen Francesca Albanesi, the UN Special Rapporteur in Palestine, and the two International Criminal Court judges who issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Also locked out of the global financial system, Daru founded Red Dot Media in early 2023, the left wing English language video portal focused on the genocide in Gaza and the Palestinian solidarity movement in Germany. In perhaps one of the most bizarre twists to this story, the European Union charges that is reporting supports actions by the government of the Russian Federation which undermine or threaten stability and security in the union. Think about this. Reporting on the genocide in Gaza undermines the war effort against Russia. Daru's name was included in the EU17 package of sanctions against Russia. No mainstream newspaper or broadcaster in Germany has reported on his case. Daru believes this silence is due to journalists and news organizations fearing they may too be sanctioned. Sanctions have also been applied to Thomas Roper and Alina Lipp, who are German journalists but based in Russia. And Natalia, a Cameroonian Swiss activist noted for her opposition to French influence in West Africa, along with Jacques Baud, a former Swiss army colonel whose reports on the debacle in Ukraine have angered NATO and European states. Joining me to talk about his civil death and what this means for journalism, especially those journalists who report on the genocide, is Hussein Daru. Let's go all the way back to the inception of the genocide shortly after October 7th. And if you can describe the kinds of things you were reporting and putting out in your portal.

A

Hello Chris, thank you for having me here. So, yeah, as you mentioned, we founded 2023Red Media. I was its founder and we have understanding of an anti imperialist socialist news Outlet that is trying to highlight people struggled around the world, especially from the global south, against Western imperialism and exploitation. So, so until October 7th, we focus internationally about struggles in Latin America, in Asia, in Europe, but also from the African continent, Middle East. And with October 7, our focus was not only, not primarily, but mainly on the Middle east and Palestine and the slowly unfolding at the beginning, war crimes, which turned into a genocide later. So we focus heavily on that and about pro Palestinian, anti genocide protests across the world, in Europe or in the US as well as in the Middle East. That was our primary focus. At the same time, we also managed to do a couple of documentaries from Palestine as well, as well as from the African continent, which focus and highlight exploitation, which highlight war crimes, which also highlight human stories of people, as I mentioned at the beginning, fighting these injustices in their way. With the time, we also try to talk with the political actors in the Middle east who are part of this war, especially with the axis of resistance groups such as the Palestinian resistance groups, with the the Houthis, Ansar, Allah and Hezbollah as well, to give a different perspective on the events that are unfolding. And also trying to break that one sided news coverage on the genocide, which was or which is still dominated here in Europe, primarily from the perspective of the Zionist entity in the Middle East. And we wanted to break that a little bit because we thought and we understood that these people who are opposing it, opposing the resistance in Palestine, partially do oppose that because they are not exposed to diversion of the events and not the historical context of it. And that was our aim.

B

And when was the first indication that you were running into serious problems? I know you didn't you interview Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah and a few other figures. Do you think it was that? I mean, when did you first sense that you were in pretty serious trouble?

A

So that was pretty sanctions. So what happened is with October 7th and our unique coverage that we had internationally, we gained a lot of followers, we gained a lot of viewers, I think In September of January 2022, no, 24, until mid September 24, we had almost half a billion views, which was enormous. Yeah, and I think that triggered something because we managed to break that image and the view on the Western countries in terms of their complicity in the genocide, but also the repression against pro Palestine activism, because especially in Germany, we saw that. I mean, maybe you could follow that as well.

B

How.

A

And most of the people forget that, that 2000s after October 7th, how the repression looked like on the streets in Germany, people were battered, bones were broken. Speaking Arabic was even forbidden in Berlin for a while, even I think Hebrew for anti Zionist Jews. It was obviously forbidden to talk even Hebrew or Irish. So the repression was heavy. And with our coverage, that unique coverage that we try to give here also from the Middle east with these interviews and insights we got the attention of the mainstream media here in Germany who started directly writing articles about like who is spreading these Jew hate videos. Who's supporting these terrorist supporters here in Germany and Europe as well. And they tried. Then they started to look into us and found at some point that I, the founder of Red Media worked in the past for Redfish which was funded by rubly connected to RT back then. And they started that propaganda of oh, Hussein Doku worked at Redfish, now he's doing Red Media. It must be the same and specific right wing pro Zionist journalists started to create a theory of Kremlin communist Kremlin Jew hate hater triangle conspiracy that we are behind all these demonstrations, that we are provoking these things. And that disinformation and campaign against us from the German mainstream ended up in I think it was 14 or 16 of September 2024 when Anthony Blinken back then the second powerful person in the world so to speak was giving us press conference in UK I think. And then he first time mentioned us and said Red media is a covert operation of the Russian disinformation according to the German newspapers. But the German newspapers never said it is like that. They always say it could be like that. And so it was an assumption at the beginning. And then Blinken talked about it. The question is also how the German newspapers coverage ended up on his desk because the German newspapers are internationally not really relevant. And then what the German newspapers did first there was an allegation from their side. Blinken talked and out of the allegation they made the fact they said Red media is Russian because Blinken said so. But what they never said is Blinken is referring to your articles where you never say it is like that. You say there is a suspicion it might be. So after Blinking talked about us publicly I think there was also another outlet which, which, which they mentioned or outlets. We understood things getting quite serious that the entire campaign against Red Media from the German mainstream ended on his desk and he's publicly speaking. And we anticipated something, that something will come, repression will come, maybe raiding the apartments or blocking the social media accounts, which did not happen. But at some point the next year, 2025, May 20, we were sanctioned by the European Union.

B

The whole media organization was Sanctioned me

A

and my media organization, Red Media. We both, I mean me as a. A founder. I was sanctioned because I was accused that I'm spreading false information, disinformation and terrorist propaganda through my media outlet, Red Media. And that was the reason why they put us on the sanction list.

B

So did that shut. That shut down your media operation? In essence?

A

No. What happened before and that, I think that's the irony then. Not the irony, but the, the scary part technically. So because we understood there is something coming from the German government, European governments, and we saw what happened after the. When the war in Ukraine start, that everything was banned in Germany. People got lost their jobs. Also with, after October 7th, a lot of academics, journalists, they got publicly attacked by newspapers. Even German journalists called their employees and told them, do you know they're participating at Propellers in a demonstration because of that, people lost their jobs here. And we're not talking about just a social worker, we're talking about professors, we're talking about journalists, we're talking about doctors, lawyers, everyone. So we understood it is going into dark direction. So we decided before, I think it was one or two weeks before the sanctions, we decided to shut down Red Media. And that was before the sanctions, without us even knowing that there will be something like sanctions. Because we got also threats, threats against our colleagues who were threatened. And there was a social media campaign against people and they were decided it is not worth the risk, especially being me personally, partially being in Germany, but other people being in Europe or other countries. And that was the reason why we shut down Red Media. We announced it publicly and then the European Union I think one or two weeks later sanctioned me and red media even though there was no red media anymore. So that's a bit. I mean the funny or scary part even that they come even after you if they, if you don't even do what they. What you were supposed to do, what they alleged you to do. Yeah, that happened then on the 20th

B

of May, before we get into your sanctions and what they've, you know, done to your personal and professional life. Just explain why Germany is such a fervent supporter of the Zionist state, of an apartheid regime, of the genocide. It's from a distance. Certainly not because anti racism runs through German blood.

A

No, clearly not. Because if you look at statistics, if you look at what the German chancellor says since one or two years, it's quite racist remarks publicly against migrants. So there is this rumor, and that's what the German politicians constantly repeat, that they have a historical responsibility towards the Jewish people and the state of Israel because of what they did. And they have this nice slogan, never again is now. But I don't believe that Germany is supporting the Zionist entity because of the historical responsibility towards Jewish people. Because if they really would have that historical responsibility against the crimes that they committed, they would show the same historical responsibility and support for the people of Namibia which they slaughtered back in the days and still until today refused to pay compensations. They would have the same support against the people of Crete which fascist Germany invaded and massacred. And until today, they refuse to pay compensation or even support them. The funny thing about that is even in Crete, Germany, the German government is still funding up today memorial or an area where former Nazi soldiers are buried. And they're paying until today with German taxes, fascists, people, tombs and the area where they're buried. I mean, this is not the historical responsibility. I think what we need to understand is in general, in which political economical context the support for Israel or the support for genocide is happening. Germany's economy is declining. That is a fact. Germany missed the technologic update of their economy, of their industry. They missed the entire ki AI developments. Their hearts of the industry, which is the car manufacturing, is crashing down. They're losing against the U.S. they're losing against the Chinese. I think in that context, Johnny, Germany is trying to find their own place in the changing world, in the multipolar world that we have. And German imperialism is trying to be the leading force in Europe as well. I think that's also why they are pushing quite hard if it comes to Ukraine. And that's why they're pushing also in the Middle East. Because if you look at who is benefiting in Germany from the genocide in Palestine is the German military industrial complex is Rheinmetall. Germany is still selling weapons there. Germany sold weapons to Saudi Arabia. Germany sold weapons to Turkey, which was used against the Kurds in the Middle east, in Syria. And now this is the same happening also with Palestine. And the other thing is I think that Germany is trying to survive politically and economically. I mean, you heard as well what Van der Leyen said a couple of months ago, I think, where she said that civil. What did you say? That the car manufacturing should be reorganized so they can be part and produce tanks or weapons. And this is exactly what they want here as well. I think it was Volkswagen who's now thinking as well, to produce for the military industrial complex. And Germany is playing a crucial role there to redesign Europe militarily, to spread spent more money for militarization. Now they want to invest 500 billion euros in the next couple of years. There is also a militarization of the society happening. And I think this is all part of that. And even for them and for their technology, Gaza and the genocide is also good opportunity to test their weapons and then later go on, I hope not. But against Russia or other places in the world because German imperialism is waking up again and they want to be the dominant power in Europe and I think they trying to find their place in the world. And we know how it ended the last time when German imperialism got militarized and expanded in the world.

B

So you're sanctioned. When did you find out that you were sanctioned? How? How did you find out you were sanctioned? And I assume you were immediately cut off. You couldn't go down to your ATM and get money or anything.

A

So I was sanctioned on 20th of May, 20th of May 2025. So this is very important. When you're sanctions, you are not informed, no one is informing you, no one is informing you beforehand or the day when you're sanctioned. It is up to you to find out that you are sanctioned. So that's the first problematic part because once you're sanctioned, until you found out that you are sanctioned, you could circumvent sanctions. That's a criminal offense. So you can get in Germany I think now up to five or 10 years and €50,50,000, five to 10 years prison, I think. Don't nail me on the number. So how did we find that out? The day when I was sanctioned, me and my wife, my wife was pregnant back then. We went to the pharmacy to buy some medicine for her and her cards did not work. No credit cards, no nothing. And then I, we said, maybe there is a glitch. And then I tried my card, it did not work out as well. And then we called the bank and the bank said, we can't tell you because what did they say? Yes. Yeah, they said, we can't tell you, please write us an email and a letter. And later the day when we were at home, obviously we are journalists, we're looking into the news, news, Russian sanction package. And then I found my name on that list. But there was a weird thing because I'm a German citizen, only German citizen, no dual nationality. And there was my name, my birth date, but it said a Turkish citizen, born in Turkey, even with a different address, which is not my address. So then we were curious, looked into it, Reddit and it said, Hussein Doko, AFA Media, Red Media. And we said, yeah, it must be Me, but why is there such a mistake? Then we called the lawyer. The lawyers ask the EU Council what is happening? Why is it happening? Because when we found out that I'm sanctioned, we read the sanction reasoning and that is also, I think quite dangerous and shows where Europe in general is going. It said sanctioned under the 17 Russian sanctions because of very deep financial and personal ties to the Russian states, propaganda operators. And then they try to explain why is that so? And they gave, and it's still online, that paper. Three reasons. First one was that I interviewed Palestinian resistance groups, which is for them spreading terrorist propaganda. The second reason was that I reported from a university occupation that the university here in Berlin, Humboldt University, it was Karl Marx's university, by the way, was occupied by pro Palestinian activists. And I was there, they invited me, they gave us information beforehand, and I reported from there. And they said that I gave Jew haters a platform to spread terrorist symbols. They, I think they mean the triangle, the red triangle, which is now forbidden in Germany. Even I think the symbol of watermelon in Germany is not allowed anymore. And the third reason was that I covered protest, demonstration and violent demonstration in Germany and in Europe. Therefore I am apparently trying to create discords and destabilize Europe. Therefore only Russia can benefit from that, which is a very hard thing to believe, to having that formula and reason. So this is how I found out that once you're sanctioned, your accounts are frozen immediately. But not only yours, also from your family. My wife accounts were immediately frozen as well. Her savings are, until today, seized. Until today, they don't give back her savings. And since one week, almost two weeks, my mother's accounts are frozen. And then they start to target also your family. Because there was a time, I think it was almost 10 days, two weeks, where me, my wife, my two newborns and seven year old child, we had for 10 days or two weeks only €104 to survive. €104 in a city like Berlin. So they really want to hurt you then. And they really want to make you feel that they're coming for you. And they also show you that it is not only the person who sanctioned who is targeted. The entire family is sanctioned. Because since then, I think it was this January, German government created a new law, the sanctions implementation law, which is more repressive than the sanction itself. The sanctions do allow support to my family, or let's say they do not criminalize the support to my babies, to my children, or to my wife. But the new German law criminalizes, even in theory, they left that door open because it's so vague, vaguely written that the support to my babies. If you would come now, say you say, I have some nappies for your children, you technically could charged with five years prison or up to €50,000 of fine. So they criminalize everything to isolate you. And this is also sanctions. It is not only asset freeze. And I'm not allowed, because I'm sanctioned, I'm not allowed to leave Germany? No. Yeah, to leave or enter Europe. That's what the sanctions say. But the problem lies here, that sanctions are designed for people outside of Europe. So they don't really know how that should function with me, because I'm a European citizen and I'm living in Europe. So recently the German government said I am allowed to leave, but for the question. When the journalists asked the question, is he allowed to enter? They said, that's not our responsibility. And they said, but he's a German citizen. They said, that's not our responsibility. So sanctions are quite have a big effect, not only on the person, but also the entire family.

B

And of course you're not allowed to work.

A

That's also something they don't know if I'm allowed to work or not. We applied for permission because I need to apply for everything for permission from the Federal bank, the Bundesbank or bafa, which is like the customs for everything. So I have €506 that I can use monthly for humanitarian reason, which is not enough at all. Everything else I need to ask. Even if I want to pay my rent, pay my lawyer, pay my bills, I need to ask them and they need to give me permission for that. And with the work is the same thing. There was a leftist, anti imperialist news outlet called Jungeveld Young World, it's quite an old leftist newspaper in Germany, who wanted to employ me, who said, hey, Hussein, we want to show solidarity, but we also want to employ you. And the German government couldn't tell us until today if I am allowed to work there or not. So is everything vague? Because they don't have the answers as well, because the sanctions violate European law. The sanctions violate European member states law because they're designed against people outside of Europe. So that is the limbo where I am right now.

B

And your legal recourse, you don't have one inside Germany, as I understand it, but you technically can go to the European Union court. Is that correct?

A

Yes. So first of all, I think people need to understand sanctions, extra judicial measure, they're extra judicial. There's no court, there is no Hearing. There is no evidence, there is no sentence by the court, nothing. Just 27 foreign ministers of Germany come, Europe come together and they just decide we sanction these people, then they sanction it. So that's the main problem. I need to fight something that is decided extra judicial with judicial, with judicial measures which does not really work. So in Germany I can't go to the courts because Germany says we are not responsible for that. You need to go to the European Union, to the courts, which we are, we are at the European Court which is in Luxembourg right now, is one before the European Court of Justice. And we are expecting a decision I think next month or the month in August. July. August. But the problem lies here that I, I don't have really all the rights to defend myself because I technically can't or I'm not allowed to pay my lawyer. So everyone says you can have a lawyer, you can fight and challenge that in front of the courts. But I need to ask the German government if I can pay my lawyer. So they technically control how much access I have to, I have for my defense, which makes it very hard for me to fight that. So they control the means and they say it's, we have nothing to do here in Germany with that. So right now we're waiting there. We think it's going to be a negative decision by the European Court because it is a political decision. Sanctions are political. It has nothing to do with a judicial process. And even the European Council's website says when they describe what sanctions are, and that's the most frightening thing, I think that shows us where European imperialism, maybe the German imperialism, because German imperialism is European imperialism, that dominant power here where it goes. And they say that sanctions are not punitive. Sanctions are designed to change the non illegal behavior of the person to promote the foreign and security policy of the European Union. That's very important. It's a non illegal behavior sanctions. So that means if you do not think like us, if you do not promote our foreign policy or, or security policy, then we can sanction you. That's censorship by design, that's censorship. And I mean the Europeans love to say look at the authoritarian system in Russia, look at the authoritarian system in, in Venezuela, in Cuba, in China. But as McNamara I think it was the Irish MEP said by fighting disinformation we're becoming that what we are supposedly fighting against. And that's the problem that I have. So yeah, let's see. The court says, I think the decision will be in one to two months and if it's negative. We are going to the European Court of Justice. Until then, I'm sanctioned. And that can take still a couple of years.

B

How has this played out in kind of your daily life?

A

The daily life, you don't have a. Technically, you live day by day because you can't plan further. We don't know if the next day the accounts are frozen again of my wife or the €506 that I have personally for humanitarian reason is frozen again. We are facing right now a situation where the accounts of my wife could be frozen again. And then it takes one or two weeks, maybe three weeks, until we have access to more money, more than the €506. And then you have problems. Why you can't pay your rent, you can't pay for food, you can't pay for basic needs, not only for me, but also for my family. And asking for someone else to do that is. Is also not allowed. So that is the hardest part. And what is also happening, if you don't have the means to survive or live, it isolates you as well, because people get scared. A lot of people in Germany, also journalists who are writing me neighbors, friends or whatsoever, they are in full solidarity with me on WhatsApp or Signal or private conversations, but they won't write something because they also don't know what these sanctions mean for them if they write something positively about me or write at all about me. But that chain is a little bit. That is kind of like changing right now, because the German mainstream is slowly looking into my case. But the more momentum I get, the more the repression, more repression I face also from the German newspapers. What does it mean personally for me as well is that, for example, my trade union is attacking me. They technically made a comment. They made a comment and said, we do share the assessment of the Foreign Ministry. As long as the Foreign Ministry's assessment regarding Hussein Duku does not change, we. Our position will not change. That also shows how aligned the trade union, the newspapers are with the government line. So again, I'm going back to the example that I gave is Germany is always pointing with fingers to others. But if it comes to press freedom and how everything is separated from each other, that the government does not control it, but it feels like they do, or at least they're all on state line. And last but not least, what is also very hard for us is the fact that your children, even they're little, they're being attacked, their survival is being attacked. And that scares you. Like you are in constant. I mean, we are not Paranoid. But we are like having the fear of being put in a situation where we can't feed our children at some point because we lived through that 10 days, almost two weeks. And that is the most brutal thing right now they did to us. And that scares you a lot because you're stuck here and you can't get out.

B

What effect has this had on other independent media organizations that do the kind of work that Red Media did?

A

I think what is happening, I don't know about media organizations, but journalists, journalists in Europe. Let's talk About Germany with October 7, a lot of journalists lost their jobs. Why? Because they criticized designers entity, they criticized the genocide or they talked about the genocide. A lot of journalists lost their job. A lot of journalists organization like Reporters Without Borders Germany, they made a report, I think the 2025 report where they highlight how the news outlets pressure the journalists to report directly or not directly, but on behalf of the Zionist entity and not to use certain words or certain phrases. And that is affecting the job. And journalists in Germany do have, maybe not everyone, but a big part of the journalists that I know, they just avoid to talk about certain topics. And I think that is sanctions as well by going so hard after me here in Europe. Because what separates me from Lip Rupert Jacques as well as Natalie Yamp is they're outside of Europe. They can be sanctioned and they are sanctioned, but they can still exist, they can still earn money, they can still buy things. It was the same with Francesca Albanese as well. I don't say it is good or it is still bad situation but with me it's like I'm stuck in Europe as a European citizen. I'm technically in a prison right now. And that what is happening to me and to my family scares the people and journals so much that they self censored themselves. And I think that's also the aim now Europe does not have to send sanctioned journalists anymore because they are scared. And with the new laws coming in Germany especially, I mean you can go. I think they're proposing a law where you can get up to five years of prison when you deny the existent right of existence of the Israeli state. So it is escalating. And I think what is happening right now is with the sanction as well, they're testing. Is it a test field right now? How far can they go? How far can they cut the rights of people, the press, freedoms, freedom of speech? And they're testing and adjusting everything. But in certain countries it's not an EU level anymore. Even the countries themselves, Sanction people in France. There is the unknown, unfortunately unknown case of Iranian French. I think he's a French citizen with the Iranian background. A journalist, Shaheen Azemi, who was sanctioned by the French government. His house was raided by anti terror units because it was in Lebanon and reported from there. His assets and the videos are even online. He published them where his pregnant wife was smashed against the wall by anti terror units. I think it was. And he publicized everything. So it is escalating and people get scared. And that is the problem that sanctions do have. The problem that we have with the sanctions. I mean, yeah, I can be attacked, it is fine. But the entire society has been put online technically, or being threatened as well. I mean, even the German Foreign Ministry spokesperson threatened journalists during the German press conference. He said everyone who is threatening our information space will face repression with sanctions. And he mentioned something very important, information space. And I think that's the aim as well, the militarization of information. They want to control the information. Because sanctions do not say that you do do say that you say something wrong for them is like, who says that? Who is giving the information? Who has a monopoly of information? And that's Gaz.

B

Great, thanks, Hussein. I want to thank Max Thomas and Noel who produced the show. You can find me at chrishedges.substack.com.

A

Sa.