The Jacques Baud Case – Bern Lodges a Protest with the EU!
Protest
Yesterday evening, we received news that the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) had lodged an official protest in Brussels 26 days after Jacques Baud was sanctioned by the EU, arguing that the sanctions imposed on Jacques Baud had not been preceded by due process and that freedom of expression had not been respected.
Bern's reaction to this unlawful action against a Swiss citizen comes rather late. We remember the stupid grin of Federal Councilor Jans, the defamatory statements made by Jans' colleague Schinzel on X, and the outright smear campaign against Baud by Lieutenant Colonel Kohler, who – when confronted with our legal analysis and proof of defamation – described his pamphlet as “case study in cognitive warfare” and dismissed “personal accusations” as unfounded. Our contribution to this: “Pascal Kohler – the Herald of Kaja Kallas.”
No due process
The department, which under the leadership of Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis advocates the automatic adoption of EU law and EU decisions, now seems to be realizing that “due process” is a thing of the past in the EU. Contrary to Article 11 of its own charter, the EU has moved to punish, disenfranchise, and expropriate citizens of all countries without any offense having been committed, as was last seen in Nazi Germany (see our analysis: “EU sanctions German journalists” from May 2025). The dozens of people affected were never given the right to defend themselves or be heard. This elimination of dissenters is not being ordered by a court, but by the “Council of the European Union,” the political arm of the EU. The Council, in which non-democratically elected apparatchiks enjoy a good life, is headed by the non-democratically elected Kaja Kallas. We are back in the Middle Ages.
Pressure from Many Yields First Result
The initial inaction of the ladies and gentlemen in Bern suggests that the current positive change of course was not the result of their own deliberations, but rather the result of international pressure that has built up in recent days. We strongly criticized this posture in our article “Jacques Baud is being Sanctioned—and Switzerland is Fast Asleep” on December 18, and we were not alone.
The pressure did not come from Switzerland alone. Countless alternative media outlets around the world stood up for Jacques Baud. In Germany, I would like to mention, among many others, the Nachdenkseiten, whose Florian Warweg questioned the German government's actions as early as December 19 at a federal press conference. The press spokesman's succinct response was that this happens when you spread disinformation and that it will continue to happen in the future – so much for the German government's stance.
“This Far and no FURTHER”
Patrik Baab, who also writes for us, has shown great courage. He started the petition “This far and no further,” which we were among the first to sign and which is still ongoing: My appeal:
Please sign – link here!
Patrik Baab, who still lives in Germany, is risking political persecution and even arrest in his own country for Jacques Baud – hats off to him!
In Switzerland, too, alternative media outlets in particular have engaged in unprecedented exchanges and mutual support. An initiative by Vital Burger, who has been campaigning for freedom for decades, is also getting underway. Vital has produced a button – “Nous sommes Jacques” – which can now be ordered at button@noussommesjacques.ch for CHF 5.-.
The collaboration is excellent and should remain so—it's not about the egos of individual publicists, but only about Jacques Baud.
Weltwoche, which at the beginning of the campaign gave the impression of going along with it and whose editor Rafael Lutz wrote a great article about Pascal Kohler entitled “A ‘surf instructor’ becomes an agitator,” made a U-turn last week. Roger Köppel refused to publish our article “Pascal Kohler – the Herald of Kaja Kallas” online and to make Rafael's article available to us. His reasoning:
“Weltwoche is an independent media company, and this independence is important. That's what it's all about. There is no human right to reprint Weltwoche articles.”
Roger Köppel, January 8, 2026
Roger Köppel is helping Jacques Baud, but only if you buy his newspaper. It is to be hoped that Roger Köppel will change his attitude in this battle—it is solely and exclusively about Jacques Baud and, for once, not about business.
Personally, I was most pleased by the willingness of American colleagues to give Jacques Baud their full support. Jacques Baud also found tremendous support in the US. Among many others, I would like to mention Judge Napolitano and Scott Ritter. Judge Napolitano, whom I know very well personally and consider a true friend, interviewed Jacques Baud on his excellent channel “Judging Freedom”. To use Judge Napolitano's words: “Bravissimo!”
Scott Ritter, a close friend of mine and one of our authors, went all out for Jacques Baud—as befits a Marine. Not only did he publish a scathing article with us, “Punish me, you bitch!,” a very special declaration of love to Kaja Kallas, but he also brought up Jacques Baud in countless interviews and defended him, including on Judge Napolitano's show.
Perhaps the End of the Beginning
Jacques Baud is not yet saved—we are still a long way from that. Although official Switzerland has awakened from its deep sleep, Jacques Baud is still stuck in his apartment in Brussels, without money, without rights, and dependent on food aid from his neighbors, who are literally saving him from starvation – we are not talking about Sachsenhausen in 1943, but Brussels in 2026!
Winston Churchill's bon mot after the British first military success against the Wehrmacht in Africa in 1942 should remind all supporters that we have not yet come very far:
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