Gaby Weber, a long-standing tenacious researcher and filmmaker, has consistently published insightful books. In the interest of research, Weber is not afraid to file privately funded lawsuits for access to documents at German authorities, such as the Chancellor’s office or the Federal Intelligence Service, as well as at bank institutions like the Deutsche Bundesbank or Commerzbank. Weber’s Comdirect subsidiary account, which she has held for years, will soon be terminated. In a personal article, the journalist reports on her experiences with the phenomenon of “De-Banking” where individuals are excluded from the banking system by having their accounts terminated. The Journalists’ Guild DJV responds to a media inquiry with little solidarity. Weber introduces further cases of “De-Banking” in her article. In Germany, De-Banking initially targeted right-wing groups, such as the Düsseldorf Alternative for Germany party and co-chairman Tino Chrupalla. This was done with the support or silence of NGOs. Correctiv founder David Schraven denounced the bank as trusted by extremists and journalist Ken Jebsen and his blog Apolut were placed in the corner of conspiracy theorists. It is not surprising that Correctiv received financial support from the state. In recent years, left-wing media have also been affected and questioning of critical issues related to Corona or Israel/Gaza has led to consequences. Multipolar Magazine published the long (black) list. The Austrian broadcaster AUF1, the Compact media magazine and the affected radio station Kontrafunk are among the current victims of account terminations and freezes. Right-wing activist Martin Sellner has been reporting on account terminations and freezes for years. Weber fears that this will become a regular and widespread occurrence. In her case, she believes there is a strong connection between her professional research and ongoing lawsuits for access to documents at the Commerzbank bank and the termination of her donation account at the subsidiary Comdirect. The questions she raised regarding the financing of the Bayer AG’s acquisition of Monsanto are considered unacceptable by the bank. The Bundesbank refused to provide answers to her three questions, claiming that the Freedom of Information Act does not apply to them. Weber filed a lawsuit in the Frankfurt Administrative Court, which she lost in the first instance. The appeal is ongoing and the judges are proceeding slowly. Weber fears that this will become a regular occurrence in the future, not just for inconvenient individuals and media but for ordinary citizens as well. The Comdirect bank has repeatedly threatened to terminate Weber’s account, citing her receipt of small amounts of money as a reason. The bank did not reveal who initiated the investigation. The ongoing process costs related to access to documents make it difficult for Weber to continue her work. The Journalists’ Guild DJV states that they are not aware of any other cases of journalists who receive funding through donations and have lost their accounts. The Guild does not see a need to address this issue, stating that private banks can decide who they will provide accounts to.
DJV: Journalist’s Account Cancellation Exposes Deep Banking Grievances
