Faces of Assassination

Ján Kuciak wasn't a revolutionary type of person - he was mild mannered with a peaceful personality but despite this he stood out as a rare Investigative journalist.

He was investigating the influence of the Italian mafia in Slovakia, in particular the Italian ’Ndrangheta, and their possible links to the then Slovakian Prime Minister.

On February 21st, 2018, Ján and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, were gunned down in their house by three hired hitmen, they were both 27 years old.

Ján Kuciak profile

Faces of Assassination

If you would like to explore other profiles you can download a free e-book here. Please help us mark the death anniversaries by using the hashtag #AssassinationWitness

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

En este episodio especial Siria Gastelum Félix habla con Bertha Zúñiga, la hija de Berta Cáceres quien fue asesinada por ser ambientalista y defensora de los derechos de los indígenas. Analizamos la vida de su madre como activista por la que recibió reconocimiento internacional, hablamos de las causas por las que luchó y finalmente de cómo su asesinato cambió Honduras.

Esta entrevista también está disponible en inglés.

Presenter: Siria Gastelum Felix, the Emmy Award-winning Journalist and Director of the Resilience Fund at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Berta's story.

Berta Cáceres Profile

Help keep their stories alive – by going to our website – assassination.globalinitiative.net, subscribe to our newsletter and this podcast series. Help us remember the death anniversaries, using our hashtag #AssassinationWitness.

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

In this special episode Siria Gastelum Felix speaks with Bertha Zúñiga, the daughter of the murdered environmentalist and indigenous rights campaigner Berta Cáceres. We discuss her mothers life as an activist, for which she received international recognition, the issues she fought for and against, and finally how her murder changed Honduras.

This interview is also available in Spanish.

Presenter: Siria Gastelum Felix, the Emmy Award-winning Journalist and Director of the Resilience Fund at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Berta's story.

Berta Cáceres Profile

Help keep their stories alive – by going to our website – assassination.globalinitiative.net, subscribe to our newsletter and this podcast series. Help us remember the death anniversaries, using our hashtag #AssassinationWitness.

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

The battle to protect the environment from systemic destruction by predatory industries and organized crime has raged for generations. And there are those for who protecting biodiversity or ancestral lands has been a life’s work – they are called environmental defenders. 

But this fight can lead to accusations of acting on behalf of hostile foreign interests, social stigma, prison, physical violence and even murder. According to Global Witness, 212 environmental defenders were murdered in 2019 – that’s an average of FOUR a week.

In this podcast, we’re discussing the role of environmental defenders, why they are being targeted, what is being done right now to combat it; and what can be done to make further change going forward.

Presenter: Siria Gastelum Felix, the Emmy Award-winning Journalist and Director of the Resilience Fund at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Speakers:

Rachel Cox, Campaigner, Land and Environmental Defenders, Global Witness

Liliana Jauregui, Senior Expert Environmental Justice from IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands

Billy Kyte, former Global Witness Campaigner, Land and Environmental Defenders, Independent Consultant on Conflict Mitigation and Peace Building and member of GI network of experts

Maiara Folly, Co-founder Plataforma CIPÓ, Brazil expert

Judy Pasimio, Coordinator LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights)

Featured Profile: Berta Cáceres

Help keep their stories alive – by going to our website – assassination.globalinitiative.net, subscribe to our newsletter and this podcast series. Help us remember the death anniversaries, using our hashtag #AssassinationWitness.

Faces of Assassination e-Book

Berta Cáceres led the indigenous Lenca community in Río Blanco in the fight against the Agua Zarca Dam. Her success led to international recognition as she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015.

But Berta's success also led to years of harassment, death threats, and attempts on Berta's life. On 2nd March 2016, two gunmen broke into her house in La Esperanza, Honduras, and murdered her.

Help us remember the death anniversaries, using our hashtag #AssassinationWitness

Berta Cáceres profile - is one of a number of environmental defenders profiled in the book – Amit Jethwa, Chut Wutty, Marcelo Rivera and others. They are four of the HUNDREDS that are killed each year for trying to protect indigenous communities and the environment in which they live and rely on, and speaking out against Organized Crime and Corruption.

Faces of Assassination e-book

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Resilience Fund

The life of a mediator is complicated and often very dangerous, they find themselves placed between two sides that are fundamentally opposed to one another, with the difficult task of finding common ground in which to build a compromise and forge a new relationship without conflict.

In the podcast today we’re going to be discussing the role of mediators, the particular role of women in mediation, but most importantly, why are both men and women mediators are at risk, what is being done right now to combat it; and what can be done to make further change going forward.

Presenter: Siria Gastelum Felix, the Emmy Award-winning Journalist and Director of the Resilience Fund at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Speakers:

Roegchanda Pascoe, Chairperson of the Manenberg Safety Forum (MSF) and the Western Cape United Safety Front

Yvette Chesson-Wureh, from the Liberian-based Angie Brooks International Centre

Marcus McAllister, International Trainer & Implementation Specialist at Cure Violence Global

Featured Profile: Bill Kayong

Help keep their stories alive – by going to our website – assassination.globalinitiative.net, subscribe to our newsletter and this podcast series. Help us remember the death anniversaries, using our hashtag #AssassinationWitness.

Faces of Assassination e-Book

In the Malaysian state of Sarawak, land-related tussles between local communities and large companies have been going on for decades. Stories of harassment, violence and intimidation are not new, but no one ever thought it could cost someone their life. That is until the morning of 21 June 2016, when local activist Bill Kayong was shot dead at an intersection while on his way to work.

See other profiles at assassination.globalinitiative.net

#AssassinationWitness

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

On the 16th January 2019, the investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale Divela was assassinated by two gunmen on the streets of Accra in Ghana. This is his story.

Ahmed Divela, Faces of Assassination profile

On this episode of Faces of Assassination, Siria Gastelum Felix will be discussing the assassination of journalists.

625 journalists over the past 20 years that have been murdered for their reporting and investigations into organized crime and corruption.

Why do journalists find themselves at risk; what has been done to combat it; and what needs to be done to protect this valuable component of free speech.

Presenter: Siria Gastelum Felix, the Emmy Award-winning Journalist and Director of the Resilience Fund at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Speakers:

Guilherme Canela Godoi – who is currently heading the global unit on freedom of expression and safety of journalists at UNESCO

Frank Smyth, the Senior Advisor for journalist security at the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Pauline Adès-Mével – Editor-in-chief / Spokeswoman at Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Andrew Caruana Galizia – co-founder of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation and son of journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia

Profiles mentioned in the podcast are:

• Ahmed Divela
• Javier Valdez
• Daphne Caruana Galizia
• Soe Moe Tun
• Ján Kuciak

Together we will continue to keep their stories alive – so please go to our website – assassination.globalinitiative.net, subscribe to our newsletter and this podcast series. Help us remember the death anniversaries, using our hashtag #AssassinationWitness.

Faces of Assassination e-Book

This is the Faces of Assassination Podcast from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

On the 15th of June 2020, the GI launched the Assassination Witness campaign to stamp out criminal organisations worldwide and seek justice for victims across the globe. Over the coming months we will mark the anniversaries of those who gave their lives fighting organized crime in their communities – environmental campaigns, gang mediators, journalists and more.

In this introduction episode Siria Gastelum Felix is joined by the Director of the Global Initiative, Mark Shaw about what the #AssassinationWitness campaign is and why it is important.

Explore the profiles and sign up to our newsletter our dedicated website.

The Faces of Assassination e-book