Kristof Clerix works as an investigative journalist for the Belgian weekly magazine Knack.

He specializes in security related topics. Clerix has worked as a journalist in Belgium since 2002. After two years freelancing for the Belgian daily De Morgen, he joined the team of MO*, a Belgian monthly magazine on international affairs. There he reported from more than 40 countries.He has written substantially on security topics such as terrorism, international police cooperation, intelligence, NATO, EU defense policy, drug smuggling, human trafficking, illegal arms dealing, nuclear proliferation, city gangs, energy and pipelines, geopolitics and frozen conflicts.In 2006, Clerix wrote the book "Vrij Spel", on the activities of foreign secret services operating in Belgium, host country to the NATO headquarters and European institutions. His second book, "Spionage. Doelwit: Brussel", on Cold War espionage was published in 2013.Clerix is regularly contacted by international media to comment on the Belgian security apparatus.

In 2013 Clerix joined ICIJ. He contributed to Lux LeaksSwiss LeaksEvicted and Abandoned, the Panama Papers and Bahamas Leaks. Clerix has represented ICIJ at several international conferences, organised by Europol, the European Parliament, and the Financial Transparency Coalition. In 2016 Clerix started working for the news magazine Knack, focussing on international muckracking. Next to ICIJ collaboratioins, Clerix worked on several other cross border investigative projects, including the MEPs project and Security For Sale. In 2005, Clerix won the Investigative Journalism Award for Young Journalists handed out by the VVOJ - the Flemish Dutch Association for Investigative Journalists. In 2010, he was awarded the European Young Journalist Award for Belgium, a prize by the European Commission. In 2015 he won the Investigative Journalism Award of VVOJ.

In collaboration with Bellingcat and Syrian Archive, Clerix revealed in April 2018 that Belgian companies illegally exported 96 tonnes of nerve gas precursor isopropanol to Syria. The story went global.

Kristof Clerix

Basic information

Name
Kristof Clerix
Title
Investigative journalist
Expertise
Intelligence, Nato,
Country
Belgium
City
Brussels

Supported projects

The Chlorpyrifos Case

  • Environment
  • Healthcare

BRUSSELS - Residues of Chlorpyrifos, a dangerous insecticide, have been found in fruit baskets and samples of human urine across Europe. This large, cross-border investigation unveils its risks for the public. 

Security for sale: the price we pay to protect Europeans

  • Security
  • Terrorism

Since the late 1990s, the European Union has worked to encourage a European security market, where major defence and technology companies develop products and services that better protect us from crime and terrorism. This industry should also create jobs and be globally competitive. Over the past year, more than twenty journalists in eleven European countries investigated this burgeoning sector. And they discovered there’s a lot wrong with the European security market.

Espionage. Target Brussels

  • Politics
  • Security

Investigative journalist Kristof Clerix (MO*) examined the espionage files of Prague, Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Sofia and Warsaw looking for the best Brussels 007 stories from the 70s and 80s. Exceptionally, Belgian State Security and Military Intelligence Service put some authentic material at Clerix’ disposal. Clerix’ new book Spionage. Doelwit Brussel (‘Espionage. Target Brussels’) is a collection of nine true stories and also includes authentic archive documents and photos.

targetBRUSSELS

  • Security
  • Politics

targetBRUSSELS gathers information on the activities of Eastern European secret services in Brussels during the Cold War. The research is based on the intelligence archives of the former German Democratic Republic, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Romania.