Weaponizing Civil Death to Crush Dissidents (w/ Hüseyin Doğru) | The Chris Hedges Report

The war on information in the West has tread new grounds since the genocide in Palestine. Journalists and media outlets who report on the imperialist endeavors of the ruling class increasingly find themselves under the boot of legislators who concoct fascist legislation to act as imperial henchmen. Their methods are stretching the limits of the law with the scope and severity of the punishments imposed. Nowhere is this repression more apparent than in Germany where, since October 7 of 2023, governments have banned languages and symbols related to Palestine and many people, not only journalists but also professors, doctors and lawyers, have lost their jobs for speaking out against the genocide or participating in pro-Palestine demonstrations.

In this episode of The Chris Hedges Report, Chris Hedges speaks with Hüseyin Dogru, a German citizen and father of three young children, who founded Red Media, an anti-imperialist, socialist media outlet. Since May 20 of 2025, Dogru has been experiencing a “civil death,” as Hedges calls it. Dogru and his family members are sanctioned by the European Union as part of its sanctions package against Russia. Their bank accounts are frozen, and they are forced to live on 506 euros a month, which is wholly inadequate for a family of five. Providing any support for Dogru’s family, such as bringing them food, is considered a violation of the sanctions and is punishable by heavy prison sentences and fines.

The allegations against Dogru are unfounded and inaccurate, but even though he has not committed any crimes, he is left with little recourse in the judicial system. Dogru describes the day-to-day struggles to find answers about what he is or isn’t permitted to do and the painful uncertainty of not knowing whether his children will have enough food or other necessities. His case illustrates the state’s expanding powers to weaponize the legal system and to control every aspect of a citizen’s life.

Dogru calls this attack on press freedom “militarization of the information space” and he notes its effectiveness. His trade union is siding with the government. Journalists are afraid to even report on his plight. Dogru explains, “What is happening to me and to my family scares the people and journalists so much that they self-censor.” When asked about Germany’s support for the Zionist State, Dogru exposes the hypocrisy of Germany’s claim to a historical responsibility to Jewish people. He places Germany’s actions in the context of its declining economy and search for relevance in a rising multipolar world, saying, “German imperialism is trying to be the leading force in Europe as well. And we know how it ended the last time when German imperialism got militarized and expanded in the world.”