In episode 50 of Tahrir Podcast, Emmy-winning journalists Laurent Richard and Sandrine Rigaud join us to talk about their book, Pegasus: How a Spy in Your Pocket Threatens the End of Privacy, Dignity, and Democracy (Henry Holt & Co. 2023) — a gripping account of the global investigation that exposed how governments have turned smartphones into tools of surveillance and control.
Based on their work leading The Pegasus Project, the book unpacks how military-grade spyware developed by NSO Group was used to target journalists, activists, and political figures across the world. In this episode, we explore the making of the investigation and the writing of the book — from leaked phone numbers and digital forensics to international collaboration, political pressure, and the high personal stakes of telling these stories.
Laurent Richard is an Emmy-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and founder of Forbidden Stories, a network that continues the work of threatened or murdered reporters. Over two decades, he has exposed global corruption, arms deals, and surveillance. His work has earned the George Polk Award, the European Press Prize, the RSF Press Freedom Prize, and the 2024 Emmy for The Pegasus Project. He was also named European Journalist of the Year at the Prix Europa in 2018.
Sandrine Rigaud is an Emmy-winning investigative journalist and former editor-in-chief of Forbidden Stories. She led The Pegasus Project and The Cartel Project, uniting reporters worldwide to pursue silenced stories. Her reporting has been honored with the George Polk Award, the Maria Moors Cabot Prize, the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize, and a 2024 Emmy for The Pegasus Project. She is currently a Neiman Fellow at Harvard University.
Episode on YouTube:
Sandrine & Laurent's book: https://www.amazon.com/Pegasus-Threatens-Privacy-Dignity-Democracy/dp/1250858690
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