Graham Phillips (journalist)

Graham Phillips
Phillips in 2012
Personal information
Born1979 (age 44–45)
United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker
YouTube information
Years active2009–2023 (channel deleted by YouTube)
Subscribers334,000 Edit this at Wikidata
(February 2023)

Graham William Phillips (born 1979) is a British journalist, self-styled 'indie journo', documentary filmmaker and former YouTuber who is under UK Government sanctions for "producing and publishing pro-Russian disinformation and propaganda about the Ukraine War".[1] The sanctions on Phillips are an asset freeze.[2]

Phillips previously worked as a stringer for the Russian state-owned television networks RT (2013–14) and Zvezda (2014–15).[3][4] He then reported for his YouTube channel from Russian-controlled territory during the Donbas War in Ukraine, for which he received several medals, including one from Russia's Federal Security Service.[2] During the later Russian invasion of Ukraine, Phillips has made videos from the occupied territories, in his frontline videos he has filmed himself wearing Russian military fatigues and displaying the Russian Z symbol.[2] Phillips describes himself as an "independent British journalist" and that his work is "supported by crowdfunding from individuals across the world who want to see the truth" and provides a "counterbalance” to widespread western misunderstanding of the true situation in the region (Donbas)."[5][6] Phillips' YouTube channel was deleted in July 2023, he moved his content to Rumble, Telegram, and other social media.[2]

Phillips was accused by at least one UK politician of committing a war crime in Ukraine by breaching the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War in his April 2022 interview with Aiden Aslin, an accusation he denies.[3][7] In July 2022, the government of the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on him, stating that his work "supports and promotes actions and policies which destabilise Ukraine and undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or independence of Ukraine".[8] Phillips was the first mono-British citizen to be added to the sanctions list, and remains the only mono-British national to be sanctioned by the UK.[9] In early 2024, after a December 2023 hearing, the Royal Courts of Justice ruled against Phillips' sanctions appeal.[10] The Court judgment stated that Phillips had "published propagandist video content which glorifies the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its atrocities, and promotes disinformation advanced by Russia".[11] Phillips maintains that he is a journalist who works independently of the Russian regime.[12]

  1. ^ "UK Journalist Banned From Twitter Angers Some in Kosovo". Balkan Insight. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Phillips v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs" (PDF). High Court of Justice. 12 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b Waterson, Jim (20 April 2022). "Who is Graham Phillips, the YouTuber accused of 'war crimes'?". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  4. ^ Ball, Tom (12 April 2022). "Graham Phillips: Briton banned from Ukraine is back doing Kremlin's bidding". The Times. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  5. ^ Scott, Katy (16 March 2022). "Controversial Tayside YouTuber accused of being 'Putin agent' returns to Ukraine". The Courier. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Graham Phillips: the civil servant-turned-Putin propagandist". 21 April 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  7. ^ Bateman, Tom (23 April 2022). "YouTube removes video of Ukraine war prisoner Aiden Aslin amid claim it breaks Geneva Convention". Euronews. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  8. ^ Beaumont, Peter (26 July 2022). "British pro-Kremlin video blogger added to UK government Russia sanctions list". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  9. ^ "British vlogger accused of being 'Kremlin mouthpiece' sanctioned by UK over work in Ukraine". 27 July 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  10. ^ "British 'pro-Russian propagandist' awaits ruling on High Court sanctions fight". The Independent. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Ex-civil servant labelled 'propagandist for Russia' loses sanctions legal fight". The Independent. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Down Vladimir Putin's Disinformation Rabbit Hole". 22 April 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.