[Breaking] U.S. Condemns Germany for Prosecuting Doctors Who Advised Patients. Would Canada Be Next?
As US warns Berlin against criminalizing medical judgment, we ask whether similar government overreach, such as punishment of Dr O'Connor, Dr. Hoffe et al, will finally face international scrutiny.
Similar Prosecution of Doctors Who Advised Patients in Canada:
Dr. Mary O’Connor (Ottawa, lost her license) - https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-doctor-refusing-to-co-operate-with-investigation-into-covid-medical-practices-college
I’m fortunate to have met Dr. Mary O’Connor. She is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. At the age of 65, after over 40 years of work, she lost her medical license, job, everything for advising her patients who she believed was the best for them.
I have recently dedicated the whole substack to her, as she shared with me her story, which was published in “Canary In a Covid World: How Propaganda and Censorship Changed Our (My) World” - an amazing book real-life stories published on Amazon that every Canadian should read.
You can also watch her telling her story in one of the rallies held last year in Ottawa (Canada’s Medical Inquisition: Dr. Mary O’Connor Speaks Out on Raids, Entrapment, and Her Forced Exile from Medicine)
Dr. Chris Shoemaker (https://substack.com/@cshoemakermd) - another Canadian hero whom I was also fortune to meet personally. He also stood for patients, and lost license as result with everything that followed.
Dr. Hoffe, Dr. Makis, Dr. Briddle, Dr. Trozzi and so many others… Some of them were reinstated, but some still not. You can read biographies of some of them at The Canadian Covid Care Alliance portal (www.cccalliance.ca/about-us).
![Interview with Lex Acker [YouTube]: BC FOI on COVID Vaccine Harms Hidden from Public. Part 1: Dr. Hoffe’s Flags.](https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/bcgsaI1gksk)
Watch US HHS Secretary Address
Jan 12, 2026
“Reports coming out of Germany show a government sidelining patient autonomy and limiting people’s abilities to act on their own convictions when they face medical decisions. That is why Friday, I sent a letter to Germany’s Federal Minister of Health, Nina Warken. In my letter, I made it clear that Germany has the opportunity and the responsibility to correct this trajectory, to restore medical autonomy, to end politically motivated prosecutions, and to uphold the rights that anchor every democratic nation.” —Sec. Kennedy
What This Means for Canada?
Executive Summary
In a public statement, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now serving as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, announced that he has sent a formal letter to Germany’s Federal Minister of Health, Nina Warken, condemning the prosecution of physicians who issued COVID-era mask or vaccine exemptions.
The core message is unambiguous: when governments criminalize doctors for advising patients, they cross a line that democratic societies have historically treated as inviolable.
For Canadians who witnessed similar actions at home—most notably the persecution of Dr. Charles Hoffe—this moment raises an unavoidable question: Will the United States extend the same concern to Canada?
Key Messages from the U.S. Presentation
1. Criminalizing medical advice violates a democratic red line
The U.S. position is that punishing physicians for patient-centered medical advice destroys the sanctity of the doctor–patient relationship. Once doctors become enforcers of state policy, patient welfare is no longer the priority.
2. Patient autonomy is foundational, not optional
The statement emphasizes that patients must retain the freedom to make personal medical decisions without coercion or political pressure. This principle is framed as the bedrock of democratic societies.
3. Pandemic-era emergency powers went too far
While acknowledging that extraordinary authority expanded globally during COVID-19—including in the United States—the presentation warns that decisions driven by fear rather than open dialogue cause lasting societal damage.
4. Retaliation against dissent erodes public trust
Prosecutions, license revocations, and professional exile of physicians who questioned official directives undermine confidence in medical institutions and the legal systems meant to protect the public.
5. Governments must correct course
The U.S. urges Germany to end prosecutions, restore unjustly revoked licenses, and halt punishment of doctors who acted in good faith under their Hippocratic oath.
6. History will judge these moments
The statement frames this as a defining test for democratic leadership: free societies protect the right to think, question, and choose.
Parallels with Canada: The Case of Dr. Charles Hoffe
Canada is not a bystander in this story.
Dr. Hoffe, a rural emergency physician in British Columbia, was among the first Canadian doctors to raise concerns about COVID-19 policies and patient safety. For providing advice to his patients—rather than enforcing a single state-approved narrative—his ability to practice emergency medicine was effectively removed.
Although technically allowed to continue general practice, he faced sustained regulatory pressure, professional isolation, and ongoing harassment.
The pattern mirrors what the U.S. now criticizes in Germany:
Regulatory bodies acting as instruments of policy enforcement
Medical licenses used as leverage against dissent
Patient–physician judgment replaced by administrative compliance
These are not isolated incidents; they reflect a structural shift in how medicine was governed during the pandemic.
The Question Canadians Are Asking
If the United States is willing to issue a formal diplomatic rebuke to Germany for punishing doctors who honored their professional obligations, then a natural question follows:
Will similar scrutiny be applied to Canada?
Canada also:
Sanctioned physicians for pandemic-era dissent
Restricted clinical autonomy through regulatory enforcement
Punished doctors who issued exemptions or offered individualized advice
From the perspective outlined by the U.S. Secretary of HHS, these actions raise the same democratic and ethical concerns.
Why This Moment Matters
This is not about revisiting COVID debates for their own sake. It is about setting boundaries for the future.
If governments can criminalize medical judgment during an emergency, then:
The doctor–patient relationship becomes conditional
Regulatory bodies become political actors
Trust in public institutions continues to erode
For Canadians who suffered professional, financial, or personal harm during this period, the U.S. intervention offers something rare: external validation that a line was crossed.
Conclusion
The U.S. message to Germany is clear: democratic governments do not punish doctors for acting in their patients’ best interests.
Canada now finds itself uncomfortably close to the very practices being publicly condemned.
Whether or not a similar letter is ever sent to Ottawa, the precedent has been set. The question is no longer whether overreach occurred—but whether governments will acknowledge it, correct it, and ensure it never happens again.
History, as the U.S. Secretary noted, will record how leaders respond.
References
Public statement by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Reporting on prosecutions of German physicians issuing COVID-era exemptions
Canadian regulatory actions involving Dr. Charles Hoffe
Disclaimer
This article reflects the author’s analysis and interpretation of publicly available statements and events. It is not legal or medical advice. The opinions expressed are those of the author, not of any institution.
Acknowledgment
This article was written with assistance from ChatGPT using the prompt:
“Summarize and analyze the U.S. HHS statement condemning Germany’s prosecution of physicians, extract key messages, and compare them to similar cases in Canada, including Dr. Charles Hoffe, while asking whether similar U.S. scrutiny could apply to Canada.”
Based on approximately 1,100 words and a 15-minute narrated input and collaborative drafting process.
ChatGPT was also used to ensure political neutrality, factual clarity, and alignment with the Public Servant Code of Values and Ethics.
Read more about why and how I use ChatGPT to write my Substack articles.
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