The debate over the legal processing of the COVID-19 pandemic has reached a new international dimension. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directly attacked the German federal government in a sharply worded message. His accusation: Germany is engaging in a systematic criminalization of doctors who followed their medical convictions during the pandemic and sought to protect patients from state encroachment.
Kennedy: “The Sacred Doctor-Patient Relationship is Being Violated”
In his appeal to Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), Kennedy described the ongoing criminal proceedings against German medical professionals as “politically motivated.” He criticized the state for massively interfering in patient autonomy and degrading doctors to “enforcers of state policy.”
“Reports from Germany show that the government is brushing aside patient autonomy and restricting people’s ability to act according to their own convictions.” – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. via X
Kennedy is calling for an immediate end to the prosecutions and the restoration of revoked medical licenses. For him, the freedom of the individual to make medical decisions without fear of state sanctions is an inalienable human right.
Criminalization Instead of Discourse?
Kennedy’s criticism aligns with the accounts of numerous physicians in Germany who have faced unprecedented persecution for years. Those affected are primarily doctors who:
- Issued mask and vaccine exemptions to protect patients from physical or psychological harm.
- Publicly questioned the safety and efficacy of the novel mRNA preparations.
- Spoke out against facility-based mandatory vaccination.
While the German judiciary argues that these are merely formal errors (such as issuing certificates without a physical examination), supporters see this as a pretext. They accuse the state of making examples of them through prison sentences and professional bans to permanently silence dissenting opinions in the medical field.
The Call for a “Great Reappraisal”
Kennedy is not alone in his view. In Germany, civil rights movements and critical medical organizations have long been demanding a full amnesty for those physicians who acted in the spirit of the Geneva Declaration.
The central demands of Kennedy’s supporters are:
- Stop all ongoing proceedings: Ending trials for alleged “incorrect health certificates.”
- Return of licenses: Doctors who had their medical licenses (Approbation) revoked due to their critical stance must be allowed to practice again immediately.
- Transparent investigation: An independent reappraisal of political influence on the judiciary and medical associations during the pandemic years.
Conclusion: A Signal from Washington
For many affected doctors in Germany, Kennedy’s intervention is a glimmer of hope. The fact that a sitting US Health Secretary clearly labels the situation in the Federal Republic as “persecution” puts massive pressure on Berlin. Whether the federal government will stick to its hard line or react to growing international pressure will be seen in the coming months. One thing is certain: the issue of “politically persecuted doctors” has now been placed on the global agenda by Kennedy.