Trouble with the Truth

In this new episode of Trouble with the Truth, Lana interviews journalist Clare Rewcastle-Brown who helped to uncover the infamous 1MDB corruption scandal in 2015. The focus of their discussion wasn’t the investigation itself but the legal turmoil and harassment that followed it. Not only has she been banned from entering Malaysia but while living in the UK, the journalist was subjected to a defamation campaign, hacking, surveillance and intimidation. The harassment was orchestrated by reputable UK based law firms and PR agencies. Clare is also fighting multiple civil and criminal lawsuits, filed in the UK and Malaysia. They discuss why SLAPP lawsuits are so damaging for free media and how they should be handled and whether the UK government should do more to deal with this problem. 

In their latest investigation, Roman and his colleagues examined the suspects involved in the murder of Belarussian journalist Pavel Sheremet, who was working in Ukraine. Pavel was killed by a car bomb as he was leaving his home in 2016. It took three years for the Ukrainian police to come up with the murder suspects. The investigation has proved controversial, with critics calling it flawed as it failed to uncover the masterminds behind the hit. In the interview, Roman elaborates on the details of the investigation: how they went through the phone logs of the murder suspects and discovered new connections. He also talked about who might have been behind the murder and why the pursuit of the truth is so important for Pavel’s colleagues.

In this new episode of Trouble with the Truth Lana interviews Evin Barış Altıntaş, a journalist and the founder of the Media and Law Studies Association. MLSA provides legal support to journalists, promotes press freedom and the rights of minority groups.  

The past few years have been disastrous for Turkish independent journalists. In 2016, using the failed coup attempt as a pretext, Tayyop’s Erdogan’s government imprisoned thousands of journalists, activists and academics. 

According to Barış, Turkish president has always viewed independent media as an enemy. Those who scrutinized his policies and his personal wealth paid a heavy price. According to Amnesty International, more than 120 journalists are currently imprisoned, and more than 2500 media outlets were closed in the recent surge of repressions.

Barış recounts how Kurdish reporters, being members of a marginalized minority, face even tougher crackdown from the Turkish government. Another aspect of this crisis is the soaring unemployment amongst journalists, with many having fled the country fearing prosecution. Tune into the new episode of Trouble with the Truth to hear Barış’s detailed and eloquent account.

In the new episode on Trouble with the Truth, Lana interviews Roman Dobrokhotov from The Insider- an investigative media outlet that together with Bellingcat uncovered the names of the would-be murderers of the Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny. Journalist Timur Kuashev, activist Ruslan Magomedragimov and a politician Nikita Isaev (once close to Kremlin) all died suspiciously - there is now evidence that Navalny’s poisoners were involved in the string of assassinations. To find out the details of this investigation and the way it was carried out, to learn more about Kremlin’s fears and what drives fearless journalism in Russia- tune in to the new episode of Trouble with the Truth.

In the new episode of Trouble with the Truth, Lana talks to Susan Coughtrie, from Foreign Policy Centre. Susan is the editor of their latest report “Unsafe for Scrutiny…” that “explores the role that the United Kingdom plays as a hub for the facilitation of global financial crime and corruption, as well as for services that can be utilised against journalists reporting on this topic.” SLAPP legislation has become a powerful silencing tool used against independent journalists from all over the world. Despite some reform attempts, London remains the capital of “libel tourism”. Why is this damaging for the UK international reputation and will it get worse after Brexit? Who are the journalists affected by SLAPPs? What does all of this have to do with Russia Report? Tune in to find out.  

In 2020’s final episode of Trouble with the Truth, Lana reflects on the year that has passed and takes a closer look at the mission and work of the Justice for Journalists Foundation - the organisation that has helped bring this podcast to life. Maria Ordzhonikidze, the JFJ’s Director, talks about the origins of the foundation, the projects it sponsored over the course of this year, and how their Media Safety Academy is helping journalists from the post-Soviet space stay safe. Maria also reflects on the events that help feel hopeful during these uncertain times.

In this episode of Trouble with the Truth, Lana chats to the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Coda Story Natalia Antelava. The news about vaccine was met with glee but also contributed to the spread of conspiracy theories and false information online. What impact has the continuous disinformation had on independent journalism before and during the pandemic? Why have some populist leaders thrived because of the coronavirus falsehoods? Against all of this, has the role of a journalist morphed into something more than simple reporting of the truth? Find out in the new episode.

 In this new episode of Trouble with the Truth, Lana Estemirova continues to explore Mexico’s appalling record on journalists’ safety.  Special guests are freelance journalist and writer Paula Mónaco Felipe and Juan Sebastián Salamanca from Article 19. 

 Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist. More than 140 journalists have been killed there since 2000 and countless more have been intimidated, harassed, attacked and driven out of the country. In more than 99% of cases, the murderers have not been found and prosecuted. How does one decide to become a journalist in such a risky environment? Can certain politicians be as dangerous as drug cartels when it comes to stoking up hated against independent media? What mechanisms are in place to ensure the safety of journalists and what are the limitations? We discussed all the above and much more in the new episode of Trouble with the Truth. 

In the new episode of Trouble with the Truth, Lana interviews Rebecca Vincent from Reporters without Borders. 

 Rebecca has been monitoring the extradition trial of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. After spending seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy, the journalist has been arrested by the Met police in 2019 and if extradited to the US, he’s facing 175 years in prison. Rebecca talks about the importance of this case for freedom of the speech worldwide and why we must look beyond Assange’s controversial persona when talking about the trial. They also spoke about the pandemic of disinformation that was exacerbated by Donald Trump’s presidency and how to handle online hate from twitter trolls. 

In this new episode of Trouble with the Truth, Lana Estemirova investigates why writing about women’s rights in the North Caucuses leads to threats and intimidation of journalists and activists.

“I’ve been given orders to handle the feminists,”- said man’s voice on the phone. It wasn’t the first time Dagestani journalist Svetlana Anokhina has been threatened. Daptar, the online portal where she works, dares to frankly discuss topics considered taboo in the North Caucasus: domestic violence, bride kidnappings, honour killing, feminism amongst others. It is not the only outlet that talks about women’s rights. There are multiple accounts on Telegram, Vkontakte, Instagram that do the same - and quickly become swamped with threats and abuse, mostly from men. In this ultra-conservative, patriarchal region of Russia, women are finding their own ways of talking about what matters to them, despite the danger that truth brings. To bring this episode to life, Lana has spoken to Svetlana Anokhina and anonymous admins from a successful women’s Telegram channel. A representative from a civil rights organization Janette Akhilgova kindly provided some background to this complicated issue.