Germany’s interior minister banned the right-wing Compact magazine and police reportedly searched the magazine’s office and the homes of key leaders Tuesday, including Editor-In-Chief Jürgen Elsässer.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency labeled Compact a right-wing extremist outlet in 2021 for allegedly publishing conspiracy theories, anti-vaccination rhetoric and Islamophobic and antisemitic material, according to Reuters.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced the decision to ban the magazine on X, formerly Twitter. She alleged that the magazine “agitates in an unspeakable way against Jews, against Muslims and against our democracy.” She went on to characterize the ban as a “hard blow” against right-wing extremism.
The Interior Ministry announced in a press release that authorities had raided properties associated with Compact magazine in four German states in “the early hours of the morning.” One of these properties was Elsässer’s home, multiple outlets reported.
Ich habe heute das rechtsextremistische ‚COMPACT-Magazin‘ verboten. Es agitiert auf unsägliche Weise gegen Jüdinnen und Juden, gegen Muslime und gegen unsere Demokratie.
Unser Verbot ist ein harter Schlag gegen die rechtsextremistische Szene. https://t.co/HPlnefc1Cj— Nancy Faeser (@NancyFaeser) July 16, 2024
The press learned of the raid in advance and were able to photograph Elsässer during the operation, according to Remix News.
“You are treating us like a mafia, like a terrorist group. But we are a legal press organ with a clean criminal record,” Elsässer told Reuters TV. “This makes it clear that the only aim is to destroy the opposition and us as the strongest media. We are already in contact with lawyers.”
🇩🇪 Extraordinary scenes in Germany as police raid the home of Jürgen Elsässer, the publisher of the right-wing Compact Magazine, and remove various belongings from his residence outside Berlin.
Germany’s interior minister has placed a blanket ban on the entire publication.
It… pic.twitter.com/KsV03IbbSs
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) July 16, 2024
The crackdown on free speech comes after the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party surged in the polls. In June, the AfD came in second with 15.9% of the vote during the European Union (EU) election, according to DW. (RELATED: ‘We’re Ready For It’: Conservatives Set To Secure Wins In Europe After Massive EU Elections)
AfD leaders Tino Chrupalla and Dr. Alice Weidal slammed the ban on X, calling it a “serious blow to press freedom” and accused the Interior Minister of “abusing her powers to suppress critical reporting.”
Alice #Weidel/Tino #Chrupalla: Das Verbot des #Compact-Magazins ist ein schwerer Schlag gegen die #Pressefreiheit
Bundesinnenministerin Nancy #Faeser hat das Compact-Magazin sowie die Conspect Film GmbH verboten. #AfD-Bundessprecher Tino Chrupalla und Dr. Alice Weidel äußert… pic.twitter.com/0Enl8z6n9x
— AfD (@AfD) July 16, 2024
Germany scores relatively high on the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, although the site notes how press freedom is being undermined by “security law reforms” that provided “intelligence agencies broader powers that undermine journalists’ fundamental rights.”
Germany is not alone in its measures against freedom of speech. Beginning in 2022, Ireland attempted to modify its laws against “incitement” with new legislation to fight “hate speech.” The bill criminalized possession of material the government deemed hateful.
In 2023, the EU ramped up efforts to combat “hate speech online” with its adoption of a “Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council.” It specifically stated that law enforcement possesses “a particular responsibility to spearhead action against the” purported dangers of “hate speech” and “hate crime.”
