Mr. Ochsenreiter, in middle of August, several mainstream newspapers launched a campaign against the AfD party, your \u201cGerman Center for Eurasian Studies\u201d and you personally. The whole tale is about Russian influence on the AfD and how your Center allegedly serves as an instrument in a pro-Russian European network. The German mainstream media have presented their research as a huge media scoop. Was that the case?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 What \u201cresearch\u201d? The whole story is devoid of any content \u2013 as per usual with this topic. Mainstream media doesn\u2019t work with facts, it works with blurry allegations. Mainstream newspaper journalists are criticizing my assistance in organizing electoral and crisis observation missions on the territory of the former Soviet Union, activities the Center has been very open about. Some parliamentarians of the AfD party took part in missions in Ukraine, the two Donbass Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk and in the Republic of Artsakh [known as Nagorno-Karabakh] during the last years. Our mainstream media doesn\u2019t like that, and that\u2019s their whole story.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Manuel Ochsenreiter visiting the Donetsk People\u2019s Republic. Photo: Free West Media<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Why are these missions so controversial?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 They are not controversial \u2013 but to a group of liberal journalists they might be, and of course to the governments of Ukraine and Azerbaijan \u2013 as the Republics of Donetsk, Lugansk and Arzach are found within their former territories today. The German government doesn\u2019t support such missions either of course. But it is not forbidden to go to these territories, neither for journalists nor for politicians, or even tourists. Arzach for example is a beautiful country with wonderful scenery, old Armenian monasteries and countless breathtaking landmarks. European tourists who are interested in culture and hiking have been going there for years.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But why are especially politicians of the AfD party joining such missions?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 Even that is not true. Many European politicians from different political camps visited Donbass and Arzach during the last years to get their own impression of the situation there. Arzach was even visited by former high ranking German diplomats and a Bundestag politician of Merkel\u2019s CDU party.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Nagorno-Karabakh referendum observation. Manuel Ochsenreiter to the right. Photo: Supplied<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Organized by your Center?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 Of course not! We are not a travel agency. I am just proposing candidates for such missions from time to time. That\u2019s all.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But why are the OSCE, EU or UN not conducting such missions?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 For these organizations such missions are problematic.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For what reason?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 Let me give you an example: Let us say the OCSE had observed the Crimean referendum in March 2014, and let us say the OSCE observers reported that the referendum was conducted in a correct way, respecting international standards. From that moment on, the international community wouldn\u2019t have had any choice but to accept the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a result of a legal democratic decision by the population of Crimea.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n But what is the problem with that?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 The so called \u201cinternational community\u201d, which is dominated by Washington, Brussels, London and Paris, is far from accepting results of democratic processes which do not fit in their geopolitical designs. They want Ukraine as a type of \u201canti-Russia\u201d, as a Western front-line-entity. In the eyes of the West, the move by Crimea to leave Ukraine for archenemy Russia, was absolutely unacceptable. Today Crimea suffers under the special Western sanctions, no business with EU countries is permitted, nothing. Of course the West did everything possible to prevent the process of the Crimean reunification with Russia, but that has failed. When it became clear that neither the OSCE nor any other huge international body would be willing to observe the referendum, another international observation was organized within a short time. Many politicians from Europe came to Crimea to witness and review the procedures of the referendum. Most of these politicians came from Eurosceptic groups and parties from the right and the left. Again: Neither the Crimean nor the Russian authorities refused an OSCE observation, on the contrary \u2013 they invited them. But after OSCE refused, and an alternative international observation mission was organized.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The media campaign against your Center claims that you are affiliated with the AfD party\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 That\u2019s not true either. I am not member of the party. There is no connection between our German Center for Eurasian Studies and any political party.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But some AfD members are also members of your Center\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 So what? When in a local or regional sports club there are some members of a certain party \u2013 is it then affiliated with their ideology? I don\u2019t think so. Otherwise members of political parties couldn\u2019t join any organization without casting the suspicion of a party affiliation over the NGO. Precisely here the German mainstream media is trying to construct a connection which doesn\u2019t exist. The press speaker of the AfD confirmed that, I confirmed that: We are politically independent.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If there is no real content at all in this campaign \u2013 why did that massive media attack take place then?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 What is important: The aim of this campaign is not my Center or my person. The real aim is the AfD party. In September there are going to be federal elections in Germany, the AfD will enter the Bundestag for the first time. They can expect around ten percent of the votes if we can trust the latest opinion polls. The established political parties and the mainstream media are fighting with all their means against the AfD. So we have to see this campaign in this context: There is an endgoal behind it and why it is being orchestrated now. Literally every couple of days another \u201cscandal\u201d is published in the mass media. \u201cOur\u201d scandal is just one of many.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The articles about your Center say that German intel agencies are keeping an eye on your activities.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 They quote \u201canonymous sources\u201d and \u201cdocuments\u201d no one else has ever seen, except their particular little group of journalists. And in months of research and sleuthing they haven\u2019t find one single German intel spokesperson to confirm that?<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You don\u2019t believe that?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 Why should I? And even if I do: We are not doing anything wrong or forbidden. We are not breaking any laws. Our activities are open and well documented by ourselves. The Center is working through democratic means in ways the German government doesn\u2019t like, so I would be surprised if they hadn\u2019t ordered intel to keep an eye on what we do.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But why is mainstream media writing that?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 Because it is a part of the character-assassination business. You simply say that someone is under observation by intel agencies; you render that person \u201ctoxic\u201d for others by doing so. It\u2019s supposed to make people believe that you are doing something wrong, something dirty, something forbidden. It sticks a stigma onto your forehead. And the story is also meant to increase Russophobia in Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How do you mean that?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 The key messages are: 1) Don\u2019t deal with Russians, it is dangerous for you because you face a media campaign. 2) Everybody dealing with Russia in a cooperative and positive way is suspected of being an agent or at least of working with Russian intel. 3) All people in Europe who are objecting to the anti-Russian policies of their governments are not simply of a different political opinion, they are manipulated or paid by Russian intel. This is a totally undemocratic approach. In the end it is about the criminalization of not just people, but of opposing political opinions.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n