On April 27, 2026, a platform went online that sheds light on what has been downplayed, relativized, or deliberately ignored for years—and has now grown to a dimension that can no longer be controlled. Under the name Doctors of Conscience, an international, trilingual reporting office has been established to document cases in which medical professionals face persecution due to their ethical and professional conduct.
What initially appeared to be a regional phenomenon in Germany is increasingly revealing itself as a systemic pattern across Europe, extending well into Switzerland. The new platform is therefore intentionally international in scope, open to documented cases from all countries, and backed by a network dedicated to systematic review and processing.
From Isolated Cases to a Systemic Pattern
Over the past few years, the criminal prosecution of physicians has been sold to the public as a necessary measure against alleged abuse. At the heart of these accusations were claims of issuing unauthorized mask exemptions or vaccination certificates. Officially, the charge is fraud. In reality, however, these cases frequently involve doctors who made individualized medical decisions based on their professional judgment, experience, and conscience.
In Germany alone, reports indicate that more than 1,500 investigative proceedings were initiated under Section 278 of the German Criminal Code ($§ 278$ StGB)—and that is only in a fraction of the federal states. The actual total is likely significantly higher. Comparable developments have been observed in Austria and Switzerland.
The New Reality
This is exactly where the new platform Doctors of Conscience comes in. It aggregates cases that have previously remained fragmented, isolated, and largely unnoticed by the public. The objective is a transparent, verifiable, and international documentation process.
The initiative is organized by the association “Mediziner und Wissenschaftler für Gesundheit, Freiheit und Demokratie e.V.” (MWGFD), supported by the Swiss association WIR, and a expanding network spanning various countries. The platform can be reached via the following domain addresses:
- German: aerzte-mit-gewissen.org
- English: doctors-of-conscience.org
- French: medecins-ame-et-conscience.org
Easily accessible yet explosive in content: this registry does not publish opinions, but verifiable cases that can no longer be argued away.
When Ethics Become a Risk
At the core of this movement lies a development that goes far beyond individual legal trials and shakes the very foundations of medicine. What happens to a healthcare system when medical actions are no longer primary evaluated based on clinical criteria, but on administrative mandates whose disregard can result in criminal consequences?
The Hippocratic Oath binds doctors to act solely in the best interest of their patients, not in accordance with political directives. When this exact conduct becomes a legal liability, a fundamental conflict arises between professional ethics and state regulation. This tension is not theoretical; it is concrete and palpable. It directly impacts the doctor-patient relationship and raises the question of how much individual decision-making is even permitted in modern medicine.
The International Catalyst: A Signal from the USA
The initial impulse came from the United States. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had spoken about creating a designated contact point for persecuted physicians. However, that announcement never materialized into a physical structure. What was missing has now been created: independent, international, and outside of state control.
Precisely because the initial implementation stalled, a new dynamic emerged. The signal from the United States sharpened public attention and elevated the issue to the international stage. Concurrently, it became glaringly obvious that this is not an isolated German problem. Doctors of Conscience is the response of civil society, building an independent infrastructure that not only collects cases but places them into a broader global context.
A Letter That Evokes Impact
The following letter explicitly states what many dare not say aloud:
April 24, 2026 > The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy Jr. > Secretary of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
USA
Ref: When Medical Conscience Becomes a Criminal Offense >
Dear Mr. Kennedy,
I am writing to you as President of the Swiss Association WIR.
Your work on medical freedom and informed consent has not gone unnoticed and continues to resonate far beyond the United States.
What began in Germany is now increasingly visible in Switzerland as well and may not stop there.
Hundreds of physicians in the European Union such as Germany and Austria, but also in our country Switzerland continue to face prosecution years after the pandemic, often for issuing medical exemptions or supporting individualized patient care. What is officially framed as “fraud” in many of these cases frequently involves doctors who acted according to their professional judgment, their conscience, and their ethical commitment as reflected in the Hippocratic Oath.
At the same time, public statements suggest that no such consequences exist for physicians acting on ethical or medical grounds. This contradiction has prompted the association Mediziner und Wissenschaftler für Gesundheit, Freiheit und Demokratie e.V. (MWGFD) to launch a new initiative, which I fully support with all our strength and network.
Public Monday 27th of April: > *doctors-of-conscience.org(English)
- aerzte-mit-gewissen.org(German)
The purpose of this platform is straightforward: to document these fragmented and often isolated cases in a systematic, transparent, and international manner. It is designed as a multilingual platform, open to well documented cases from any country. While the current focus is on Europe, the principles at stake are universal.
In Germany alone, more than 1,500 investigations under §278 StGB have reportedly been recorded in only a fraction of the federal states. The full extent of these proceedings remains unclear.
This raises a fundamental question: What happens to medicine when conscience becomes a legal risk?
We believe this issue goes far beyond national borders. It touches the core of medical ethics, patient autonomy, and the future relationship between state authority and clinical judgment.
Given your longstanding commitment to these principles, we believe this initiative speaks for itself. Its visibility will be key and we thank you for any help you can provide us in regards to this injustice.
Respectfully,
Christian Oesch > President – Schweizerischer Verein WIR
Official Statistics
What was previously denied or downplayed can now be proven with official data. On January 10, 2026, the German State Secretary of Health, Nina Warken, declared that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s statements regarding the persecution of critical doctors lacked any factual basis, claiming criminal proceedings only occur in cases of real fraud or forgery.
Six days later, the rebuttal followed. An open letter presented hard data obtained directly from the public prosecutors’ offices. The results are clear: the politician’s statement is factually incorrect. Convictions are not occurring due to classic fraud or document forgery, but almost entirely under Section 278 of the German Criminal Code ($§ 278$ StGB)—the issuance of incorrect medical certificates.
Documented Cases (2020–2024) in 5 German Federal States
The following data reflects roughly 30% of the German population:
| Statute / Target Group | Investigated Cases | Final Convictions |
| $§ 278$ StGB (Physicians) | 1,521 | 408 |
| $§ 279$ StGB (Patients using certificates) | 2,887 | 966 |
The numbers display a distinct pattern: virtually zero proceedings before 2020, a massive spike during 2021 and 2022, and an equally sharp decline thereafter. This trajectory mirrors the political and social pressure of the respective phases.
The legal classification is highly explosive. Classic fraud and forgery play zero role in practice, as there is neither financial damage nor identity deception. Instead, convictions are based on a specific medical infraction. The public narrative that these are merely ordinary criminal acts is untenable and misrepresents the affected doctors.
Furthermore, roughly 70% of the German population lives in federal states that have not yet provided their data. The true scale remains unknown, though statistical projections estimate several thousand ongoing proceedings. These figures stem from verified, official disclosures by General Prosecutors’ offices. Yet, one fact must be remembered: these are only the numbers they chose to release.
Conclusion: A Highly Explosive Development
This is where the issue stops being abstract. The numbers are merely the surface. Doctors of Conscience is more than a registry; it is an indicator of a seismic shift. If medical practice is criminalized under certain political conditions, it inevitably raises the question of where state intervention ends.
The coming months will show how far this echoes globally. However, one thing is already clear: the narrative of the “isolated incident” is dead. What value does medicine retain when conscience is declared an offense and clinical integrity becomes a judicial trap? The answer does not lie in political statements. It lies in whether these cases are brought to light. Not eventually. Now.
