Markus Maximilian Pohl

Politik-Journalist. Mit ARD Kontraste Grimme-Preis 2023 für Berichterstattung über Rechtsextremismus.

[🐈‍⬛doro hoff @liberal_dvh]

Da ist die Quelle!

"im Westen deutschsprachige Amerikaner"

[Dale Johnson @DaleJohnsonBBC]

Statement:

"FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States. 1/3

[Markus Maximilian Pohl @PohlMaxl]

@FlorianGallwitz @peterschaeferac Rein interessehalber: Woran würden Sie beim Lesen die KI-Generierung festmachen? Also was fällt Ihnen da auf?

[Javad Dabiran @JavadDabiran]

ARD-Magazin Kontraste berichtet über ein gefährliches Phänomen in Europa: die organisierte Einschüchterung iranischer Oppositioneller durch Anhänger Reza Pahlavis.
In den vergangenen Monaten haben Drohungen, Hasskampagnen, Einschüchterungen und sogar körperliche Gewalt gegen Kritiker dieser Strömung in mehreren europäischen Ländern zugenommen, darunter Deutschland. Zudem stehen in Kanada zwei Pahlavi-Anhänger wegen des Mordes an einem seiner Kritiker vor Gericht. #No2ShahNo2Pahlavi @ArminLaschet @n_roettgen @juergenhardt @DEonHumanRights @konradkoerner @jbvolkmann @Pascal_Reddig @HNeumannMEP @davidmcallister @EP_President @MAStrackZi #Iran #SAVAK @HBrandstaetter

[Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof]

Russia threatened to do this if Ukraine attacked the May 9 parade on the Red Square. After Trump’s intervention on Putin’s behalf, Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire so Russia could hold the parade. Two weeks later, Putin unleashed the ballistic missile barrage on central Kyiv anyway.

[Danielle Beckman @DaniBeckman]

Imagine being a scientist investigating vaccines in the U.S. After years of research and millions spent, your study is blocked from publication because your data doesn't support RFK's and the FDA's battle against vaccines. This is why people like me were forced to leave.

[Markus Maximilian Pohl @PohlMaxl]

1 Jahr Friedrich #Merz - was bleibt übrig vom selbst ernannten Reformkanzler? Unser ARD-Kontraste-Film u.a. mit @HeleneBubrowski und @peteraltmaier, der sagt: "Einfach war es noch nie in der Politik." https://t.co/SCQ5kAO0Fo

[Michael Roth 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇮🇱🇬🇪 @MiRo_SPD]

Ich sollte an der Hertie School Berlin über Krieg, Frieden+Diplomatie im Nahen Osten diskutieren. Nun wurde ich ausgeladen, weil Studierendengruppen Störungen angekündigt hatten. Offenkundig ist meine Haltung zu Israel, jüdischem Leben und Antisemitismus nicht mehr tolerierbar.

[Georg Heil @Georg_Heil]

In seinem Buch „Die neue autoritäre Linke: Eine akute Bedrohung für die demokratische Gesellschaft“ beschreibt @n1ckism eine Szene aus einem Interview, das mein Kontraste-Kollege @PohlMaxl geführt hat.

Den Beitrag kann man hier anschauen:

https://t.co/eUiuWdRB5Z

[Wulf Gallert @WulfGallert]

Herzlichen Dank für die überzeugende Beweisführung ⁦@_kimnowak⁩

[Szabolcs Panyi @panyiszabolcs]

‼️Statement on the Orbán Government Accusing Me, an Investigative Journalist, of Espionage‼️

Today, the Hungarian government has filed a complaint against me for espionage. Accusing investigative journalists of espionage is virtually unprecedented in the 21st century for an EU member state. This is typical of Putin’s Russia, Belarus, and similar regimes.

I have spent over a decade documenting how Russian spies and interests have penetrated Hungarian politics, so I am probably the least surprised by this.

Despite growing signs that the Hungarian government acts as a Kremlin ally and copies the Russian model, I still trust that parts of the Hungarian state—and the judiciary—follow the Hungarian constitution, not that of the Russian Federation.

I have never engaged in espionage. I see my work as journalistic counterintelligence—from exposing the hacking of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry by Russian actors to revealing the activities of Hungarian pro-Kremlin propagandists.

Defending myself publicly would be easier if I were not bound by source protection. But that remains my top priority. I cannot reveal who provides me information or what I receive, including from within Hungarian state structures.

If I were not a journalist, I could list many facts proving it is impossible for the Hungarian state to genuinely believe I am spying. Certain meetings, contacts, and information gathering could never have happened otherwise.

This baseless accusation now forces me to share details of a specific investigation, including a conversation with a confidential source that appears to have been wiretapped. Normally, this would appear in a finished article or my upcoming book—not here. (It will appear there as well.)

Since 2023, I have investigated whether the relationship between Péter Szijjártó and Russian officials exceeds legal limits. The published audio, where I’m heard talking to a source, mentions that communication between Szijjártó and Sergey Lavrov is recorded by EU intelligence services. Less attention has gone to my point that this relationship raises strong suspicion of political intelligence activity and influence operations in Russia’s interest.

These are serious claims and hard to prove. As a journalist, I cannot force anyone to speak or hand over documents. That is why gathering this information has taken so long—and why I spoke to that sensitive source (while the conversation was secretly recorded).

Serious claims require serious evidence, and I believe I have gathered some. I have not engaged in espionage.
I have not cooperated with any foreign intelligence service in surveilling Szijjártó. Instead, I tried to verify earlier fragments of information about Szijjártó–Lavrov communication.

I sought to identify the channels and phone numbers used, and whether a secret channel—possibly used by Russian intelligence—exists. In other words, whether Szijjártó uses a hidden device or number unknown even within the Hungarian Foreign Ministry.

This was only one part of my research. The other, more serious topic is this:

Since at least 2016–2017, EU and NATO intelligence services have had indications that large amounts of cash and precious stones may have been transported from Russia on Hungarian government aircraft or private jets used by government figures. Officials from at least six countries made such claims to me.

These signals did not come from monitoring Hungarian targets, but, for example, from intercepting Russian officials discussing or preparing such shipments.

Alongside Szijjártó–Lavrov communication, I examined how baggage screening and handling works on such flights, which officials travel with what luggage, whether more packages arrive from Moscow than depart, and how such shipments could be handled discreetly.

I know how serious this is, and I would not have written even this much—but since I do not know what else may be taken from the edited recording, or what fabricated accusations (like, for example, that I was seeking such details to commit terrorism) may follow, I believe I must share this now.

Why do I investigate all this?

According to many sources familiar with the Hungarian state and counterintelligence, there is no independent body in the Orbán system able to investigate or act if a senior official is suspected of espionage.

Government members direct intelligence services and set expectations. The services lack both tools and authority to investigate a government member.

I knew this would be difficult when I chose to pursue it. But few people in Hungary can or dare to do this, so I felt it was my duty.

We have now reached the point where the Orbán government—of which Szijjártó is still a member—aware of my reporting plans and the risk they pose, has preemptively accused me of espionage.

I am a Hungarian patriot. I serve the public. As an investigative journalist, my job is to hold power accountable. Neither political theater nor legal threats will deter me.

[Thomas Heise, Reporter @HeiseThomas]

Neonazi Thorsten Heise und einer seiner Söhne haben heute Nachmittag ein @spiegeltv Team in der Nähe seines Hauses unvermittelt massiv angegriffen. Kamera stand auf dem Boden und wurde zertreten. Heise brüllte, dass es „hier anders zu geht“.

[Nils Ahrensmeier @NilsAhrDE]

wer die 10 minuten dafür nicht hat, hier der autounfall einmal im schnelldurchlauf.

[Markus Maximilian Pohl @PohlMaxl]

Interview mit den Daltons - wie sich eine neue Generation der türkischen Mafia in D ausbreitet. Unsere Kontraste-Recherche zum Nachlesen: https://t.co/WVMsn8otYU

[Cevheri Güven @cevheritv]

Benim de katkı verdiğim, yeni nesil mafya gruplarının Almanya'daki faaliyetleri üzerine video haber dosyası.
Almanya'da şiddet giderek yükseliyor...
@PohlMaxl
https://t.co/Y0hOa3KrPJ

[Lars Wienand @LarsWienand]

Behördenkantine hat eine neue Pächterin, und die Frau hat zur Eröffnung ein großes Büffet aufgetischt (und bezahlt).
Bei Nius wurde daraus eine Einladung für Bürgergeldempfänger auf Steuerzahlerkosten https://t.co/xZTjXGVeBd

[Markus Maximilian Pohl @PohlMaxl]

@Zille1887 @SaschaAdamek @CDU Laut Statistischem Landesamt 27.312. Von "viel mehr" habe ich nichts gesagt, keine Ahnung, was Sie so amüsiert

[Markus Maximilian Pohl @PohlMaxl]

@SaschaAdamek @CDU Ja, die ungleiche Verteilung ist auf jeden Fall bemerkenswert und hat wahrscheinlich auch damit zu tun, dass viele lieber Özdemir als MiniPrä haben wollten. Aber du meintest ja, das Wahlrecht wäre seltsam, das verstehe ich nicht, die Trennung in Erst- und Zweitstimme ist ja Usus

[Christian Latz @ChristianLatz_]

News zur Fördergeld-Affäre der Berliner CDU: Dem Tagesspiegel liegen umfangreiche Chatverläufe zwischen CDU-Politikern und Kultursenatorin Wedl-Wilson vor. Sie zeigen Druck und Drohungen gegen die Senatorin und Entlassungsforderungen gegen nicht mitziehende Parteifreunde.