Supported projects

MILAN / WARSAW / KYIV - How Europe's exceptional welcome of 2022 turned into years of permanent uncertainty, exposing the cracks of a reception system that expects people in need to accept whatever they are offered.

ISTANBUL / BRUSSELS – The nature of warfare is changing rapidly today. A flood of new technologies is emerging on the battlefield, including drones, robots, lasers and artificial intelligence.

KHASAB / MUSCAT - The US and Iran continue to exchange attacks. US strikes are followed by Iranian retaliation, with targets including American bases in Gulf states such as Oman's Musandam exclave, which is separated from the rest of Oman by the United Arab Emirates and situated right on the Strait ...

ZUGDIDI - The 250-kilometre border between Abkhazia and Georgia has been dividing the two countries for decades, making life increasingly difficult for the communities living along it. Caught between Russian pressure and the manoeuvrings of the ruling Georgian Dream party, those living near the ...

MADRID - When a military coup took place in Spain in 1936, followed by a civil war, as many as 2,400 volunteers left our country to fight on the side of the democratically elected Second Republic (1931–1939), first with the militias in the Basque Country and Catalonia, and later with the ...

KHARTOUM - Almost a year after the recapture of Khartoum by Sudanese government forces from the RSF (Rapid Support Forces), the capital lies largely in ruins — a ghost town scarred by conflict. Arnaud De Decker found widespread devastation and spoke to residents who endured the occupation and to ...

ANTWERP - The Organisation Todt (OT) was a German paramilitary government organisation named after its founder, Fritz Todt. The group was involved in major construction projects (such as the Atlantic Wall), security assignments (such as guarding prisoner-of-war and concentration camps) and military ...

HADIBU - Travel influencers have discovered the island of Socotra. Although leisure travel to Yemen is strongly discouraged amid ongoing conflict, Socotra is portrayed online as a carefree destination — raising serious questions about the consequences for one of the world's most fragile ecosystems.

QAMISHLO - March 2014. During a report in Rojava, the Kurdish region of Syria, things go wrong. IS militants storm the town hall and blow themselves up. Ten years later, we return to Qamishlo to see how the events of that day have changed the lives of those involved, and what remains of the ...

MINSK - In this investigation, journalists based in five different European countries investigate ties between the EU and Belarus, with a closer look on how far political, economical and social connections have been impacted by the war in Ukraine.

BERLIN - Across Europe, former Islamic State members live under new identities—undetected and unprosecuted. This cross-border investigation by German and Dutch journalists reveal how suspected ISIS affiliates exploited secret routes, false identities, and legal loopholes to enter and stay in Europe.

PRISTINA – This investigation explores the long-term human and environmental consequences of the use of NATO's use of depleted uranium (DU) munitions during the 1998–1999 Kosovo War.

ISTANBUL / DAMASCUS – This investigation uncovers how Turkey's booming recycled steel industry is fuelled by scrap metal from war-torn countries like Syria. By tracing shipping data and smuggling routes, a shadow trade is revealed connecting Europe's steel supply chain to regional conflicts.

BRUSSELS / RIGA – Utilising AI-driven analysis of Russian customs data, the Tools of War project uncovers the clandestine network of European companies that profited from supplying high-tech machinery to Russia's military, enhancing its capabilities prior to the invasion of Ukraine.

MARIUPOL - As Russian forces close in on the city, thousands of Mariupol's inhabitants are taking shelter in the cellars of the Azov steelworks. This is a reconstruction of the 82 dark days of recent Ukrainian history, during which courage, creativity and tolerance helped them to survive.

JERUSALEM / BEIRUT / DAMASCUS – The geopolitical and humanitarian situation in the Middle East has worsened since the terror attacks of 7 October 2023. International organisations have documented large-scale war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Palestine. Meanwhile, Israel has ...

BERLIN – Volkswagen needs minerals for electric cars. War-torn Congo and Sudan have them. Long supply chains and an opaque system of certifications make it likely that “conflict minerals” end up in new electric cars from the German car giant.

GULU - Since 2005, the ‘LRA’ has been expelled from Uganda. Despite an international arrest warrant, Joseph Kony is still a fugitive. President Musevini is still in power after 38 years. The majority of Uganda's population lives in poverty with no prospect of improvement. They are surviving but ...

DAMASCUS – Following the collapse of the Assad regime, it emerged that at least 3,700 children had gone missing in Syria. They were either arrested alongside their parents or born to political prisoners in jail. Nobody knows where they are today. Have they been killed and buried in mass graves ...

MANONO – Before a single ounce of lithium left Manono’s soil, millions had already changed hands in boardrooms and backchannels. To reveal this, the journalists had to follow millions of data points, tangled company networks, and a cast of well-connected power brokers.

BELGRADE - Yugoslavia began as a dream. A noble ideal to unite the Slavic peoples of the south. What followed was a tortuous history: from kingdom to socialist republic, from tourist paradise to war zone.

KIEV / GOMA / TIGRAY - Sexual violence is unfortunately common in conflicts and wars. It is a serious violation of humanitarian law of war that is rarely punished. For victims, the consequences are profound - physically, mentally and socially.

BERLIN / AMSTERDAM / PARIS / MADRID – Reports and video documentation show police violence, free speech crackdowns, and military-style force against protesters. This investigation examines how law enforcement responded to pro-Palestinian solidarity protests in four major European cities.

MINDAT - The protests are continuing and the army is firing with a vengeance. Especially in the far corners of the country, where ethnic groups have been resisting the army for years, a veritable guerrilla movement is appearing. But where does the resistance stand now? And how do young people view ...

NAYPYIDAW - From exile, Myanmar filmmakers continue their armed resistance against the military regime. Many have joined rebel groups, seamlessly switching between camera and gun whilst using film proceeds to fund the insurgency.

KYIV – Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, a systematic campaign of cultural looting has taken place in temporarily occupied territories. Under the pretext of 'evacuation', Russian forces have removed valuable artefacts from at least 46 Ukrainian museums. These priceless cultural ...

KYIV / CATANIA / BARCELONA – This investigation by a cross-border team of journalists from Ukraine, Spain and Italy reveals what happened when thousands of Ukrainian orphans, who had been placed in foster care across Europe following Russia’s large-scale invasion, were called back to Ukraine.

VILNIUS – This cross-border investigation has revealed that Sberbank, Russia’s largest state-owned bank and a target of comprehensive US, UK and EU sanctions, has bypassed trade restrictions by setting up a secret import network to supply Russian consumers with products from Western brands such as ...

BRČKO - An investigation into the chilling circumstances surrounding the only professional photograph to capture the act of execution during the Bosnian War in the former Yugoslavia.

KYIV - This investigation examines how Russian sports betting platforms continue to offer live betting on Ukrainian football matches - including those held near active war zones - using data that can largely be traced back to Sportradar. This company promotes itself as a guardian of sporting ...