liber-net has signed the #FreeDogru petition calling for the European Union sanctions against German journalist Hüseyin Doğru to be lifted.

Doğru, founder of red.media, was placed under EU sanctions on May 20, 2025 on the basis of allegations of “information manipulation” and having “systematically spread false information on politically controversial subjects with the intent of creating ethnic, political and religious discord.”

The EU Commission’s “hybrid threats” regime allows sanctions to be imposed on any person or organization deemed to promote “disinformation” that runs contrary to state narratives. Those affected are denied their right to due process and subject to asset freezes and travel bans with profound consequences for them and their families.

With Doğru’s digital accounts blocked, assets frozen, and movement restricted, this case should concern anyone who cares about free speech and the weaponization of anti-misinformation programming.

Our work on the German Censorship-Industrial Complex has shown a strong European Union-backed component that has only grown in recent years, mostly operating under the guise of countering “disinformation” or “hate speech” like the accusations lobbed at Doğru.

A democratic public sphere needs disagreement, criticism, and independent media. If governments can use sanctions to silence or punish critical reporting and dissenting analysis, every independent journalist, publisher, researcher, and citizen is made less free.