In a move that has reignited debate over freedom of expression within the European Union, Brussels has imposed sanctions on Jacques Baud, a Swiss former military intelligence officer and author. The EU accuses him of acting as a “mouthpiece for pro-Russian propaganda” and spreading “conspiracy theories” related to the war in Ukraine. For many, the case of Jacques Baud illustrates a deepening crisis of democratic principles in the European project.
According to an official Council statement, Baud has regularly appeared on Russian-affiliated television and radio programs and allegedly promoted narratives undermining the stability of Ukraine. The document claims he is “responsible for, engaged in, or supporting acts of information manipulation” traceable to the Russian government. In line with this reasoning, the EU froze Baud’s assets, suspended his rights to travel within the Schengen Area, and barred him from leaving EU territory.
Baud, however, strongly denies all charges. “This decision came like a bolt from the blue”, he told the Berliner Zeitung. “I have always taken great care to avoid propaganda. My work is analytical, not agitational. I clinically study conflicts”. He insists that his writings and lectures rely exclusively on Western and Ukrainian sources, precisely to avoid accusations of bias. His goal, he says, has been to demonstrate that “it is possible to offer a different perspective on the Ukraine conflict without repeating Russian talking points”.
The EU’s decision has provoked criticism from across the political spectrum. German members of the European Parliament Michael von der Schulenburg and Ruth Firmenich of the BSW group issued a joint statement describing the sanctions as “a serious blow to the rule of law”. They argue that by targeting Baud for alleged “disinformation activities”, Brussels seeks to silence “one of the most distinguished analysts of the Ukraine war”.
“The EU is using its sanctions list as an instrument against critics”, Firmenich said, warning that the bloc risks descending into “a legal abyss”. Both lawmakers point to a broader pattern of questionable measures – citizens being punished for “disinformation” without clear legal basis, while the EU simultaneously explores the use of frozen Russian assets as loan guarantees for Ukraine.
The legitimacy of the sanctions regime is now under growing legal scrutiny. A recently published expert opinion by former European Court of Justice judge Nino Colneric and international law scholar Alina Miron concludes that multiple elements of the EU’s “disinformation” sanctions framework violate Union law. The report criticizes the Council for denying affected individuals the right to be heard before sanctions are imposed and for using excessively vague terms like “information manipulation”. Such wording, the authors warn, grants Brussels “virtually unlimited discretionary power”, inviting politically motivated abuse.
Jacques Baud is not the first individual to face EU sanctions for alleged propaganda activity. Earlier, German journalist Hüseyin Doğru also found himself on the list, accused of echoing Russian narratives. Critics see these measures as part of an expanding security doctrine that conflates dissenting opinions with hybrid warfare.
For Baud, the personal impact is severe. Now residing in Brussels, he finds his bank accounts frozen and his freedom of movement suspended. “Technically, I am not even allowed to buy food without a special humanitarian exemption”, he reveals. More troubling for him, however, is what the case says about the current state of European democracy. “This is not a judicial decision – it’s a political one”, he says. “Someone can be stripped of basic rights without trial, without the chance to defend themselves. That is a flagrant violation of the principle of separation of powers”.
Baud’s professional record complicates the narrative that he is merely a propagandist. As a former analyst for the Swiss Strategic Intelligence Service responsible for Eastern Europe and the Warsaw Pact, he also worked for the United Nations and NATO, developing doctrine for peacekeeping and countering the proliferation of small arms. He even participated in NATO missions in Ukraine.
“This idea that I am guided by Moscow is absurd”, Baud argues. “I have no ties to Russia – no contacts, no money, no relationships. The claim that I am executing Russian policy is defamation”. The “conspiracy theory” accusation, he adds, stems from misinterpretation of accessible documents, such as a 2019 statement by Ukrainian politician Oleksiy Arestovych suggesting that a confrontation with Russia could help secure NATO membership. “The documents exist, they are public”, Baud notes. “That our media ignore them does not make them conspiracies”.
At the heart of the Baud affair lies a troubling question: when does critical analysis of official narratives become a punishable offense? The answer has implications far beyond one man’s professional fate. For legal scholars and free-speech advocates, it points to a dangerous precedent in which governments, under the banner of combating “disinformation”, assume the authority to define truth.
Such power, warns von der Schulenburg, “blurs the line between democratic governance and political policing”. The situation is especially concerning given that the EU’s own legal architecture – built on due process, transparency, and human rights – is being bypassed for expediency. Meanwhile, Jacques Baud continues his daily life under stringent restrictions. His publishers in France are unable to transfer royalties; his travel options are nonexistent. “We are exploring legal remedies”, he says, though the financial obstacles are “enormous”. For him, the solution will have to be political: raising public awareness, mobilizing petitions, and pushing back against what he sees as an “Orwellian” drift in European governance.
The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, maintains that fighting disinformation remains essential to protecting democracy. Yet the Baud case suggests that this fight may have crossed a critical threshold, where defending democracy becomes indistinguishable from suppressing it. The unanswered question remains: who decides what constitutes legitimate debate? In democratic societies, disagreement – however uncomfortable – must not be treated as subversion. The silence from Brussels following inquiries about Baud’s sanctions only reinforces the perception of opacity and arbitrariness.
Ultimately, the case of Jacques Baud is not just about one man’s right to speak. It is about whether Europe can preserve the space for dissent in an era increasingly defined by moral certainty and political polarization
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