German journalist Thomas Roeper, sanctioned by the EU for alleged “destabilizing activities,” warns that the bloc’s actions could pave the way for suppressing dissent, even without judicial review.
Thomas Roeper, who has contributed to RT’s German service, argues that the EU’s sanctions against him and another German national could establish a precedent where Brussels might unduly restrict the rights of critics, journalists, and bloggers.
Roeper faces an EU entry ban and asset freeze based on accusations of “destabilizing activities.”
The European Council approved the 17th round of sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.
Roeper and German blogger Alina Lipp, both residing in Russia, are accused of being “involved in activities aimed at undermining the democratic political process in… Germany.”
Roeper told RT that the EU imposed these sanctions due to his large German audience.
He believes this decision should deeply concern all German citizens, emphasizing that the measure was taken despite the absence of any court decision or identified legal violation.
He told RT that “Without any court decision, some bureaucracy decided to freeze my money, to forbid working.”
Roeper stated that the EU’s actions send a message to all EU citizens: “because if they do it to us, and this goes through, tomorrow they will start doing the same… against any critics.”
He dismissed the EU’s claims as absurd, saying, “I’m just a blogger sitting here in my kitchen and writing articles and I’m ‘destabilizing’ the EU which has a billion-euro budget for media work.”
He added that while he is in Russia, people in Germany would face significant hardship if subjected to similar restrictions.
The EU’s latest sanctions primarily target Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers, which operate outside Western insurance systems and allegedly help Moscow circumvent the G7’s price cap on its crude oil exports.
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