OCCRP Under Attack: IrpiMedia’s Position

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (Occrp), one of the largest investigative journalism consortia globally, has been the subject of a journalistic investigation by Mediapart, DropSite News, Il Fatto Quotidiano, and Reporters United. The report accuses the organization of operating under U.S. government influence, with public funds contributing to just under 50% of its budget. It also alleges a lack of transparency regarding these funds and even claims the U.S. government holds veto power over Occrp personnel decisions. Occrp is known for spearheading some of the most significant investigative projects of recent years, including the Panama Papers, Suisse Secrets, Russian Asset Tracker, and NarcoFiles.

Irpi, the journalism center that publishes IrpiMedia, was aware for some time that a team of journalists was working on an investigation into Occrp. Out of respect for independent and thorough journalistic work, Irpi awaited the outcome before considering any measures if incompatibilities between Irpi and Occrp were uncovered. Irpi is an Occrp member center, part of its collaborative network of newsrooms, but it maintains financial and editorial independence from the organization.

The investigation into Occrp’s operations does not reveal anything that wasn’t already disclosed by Occrp itself. However, the collateral effect has been immediate, sparking harsh reactions that endanger journalists collaborating with Occrp. Some of these individuals work in parts of the world where interference in the media is a daily reality, and any excuse is used to undermine the independence of reporters who do not adhere to government lines.

We find it essential to clarify Irpi’s position to protect its journalists and show solidarity with colleagues worldwide who are facing the consequences of this publication. The accusation against Occrp of being, in some way, a tool of political influence benefiting the U.S. government has already been exploited to harm and intimidate journalists in various countries.

In India, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) launched an unprecedented attack on Occrp colleagues who published crucial investigations into corruption in New Delhi politics, including one on the Adani Group. On December 6th, during a press conference, the party’s spokesperson explicitly cited Mediapart’s investigation, claiming that Occrp was involved in a U.S.-funded attempt to destabilize India and its Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Personal attacks followed against Indian colleagues, who were targeted on social media at the instigation of the party, raising serious concerns about their safety. Meanwhile, Mediapart stated in an interview with The Wire (India) that their investigation should not be misused for BJP propaganda. However, it is impossible to “rewind the tape,” and it is clear how difficult it is to control how various entities will use published material, which in this case provides a convenient and, in our view, unfounded offensive tool for anyone seeking to attack investigative journalism.

The Slovak member center ICJK, founded in memory of journalist Ján Kuciak, who was murdered in 2018, has also suffered. A pro-government Slovak-Hungarian online outlet published an article titled «International Network of Journalists Serving the U.S. Government: The Occrp Network Has Toppled at Least Five Governments with U.S. Money». The article explicitly mentions ICJK, Occrp, and Vsquare (an independent and cross-border journalism initiative aimed at improving the quality of investigative journalism and independent media in the Visegrád region). Ján Kuciak and his partner, Martina Kušnírová, were killed while Kuciak was collaborating with IrpiMedia and the Czech member center Investigace. Occrp was instrumental in protecting our journalists during those critical hours.

Similarly, the Serbian member center KRIK (Crime and Corruption Reporting Network) has faced yet another aggressive campaign from pro-government media, accusing it of being a foreign agent. Mediapart’s investigation was promptly republished by several pro-government outlets in Serbia, which now specifically target KRIK as an Occrp affiliate. The articles link the outlet’s work to UsAid funding, questioning all the findings of the collective’s investigations and speculating about alleged editorial interference by its financiers.

The “foreign agent” narrative is increasingly used to attack independent journalism, particularly in Eastern Europe, where new laws aim to punish those who operate with foreign funds (whether governmental or philanthropic). These are countries where the national press is largely controlled by government-aligned elites, and where international support for independent journalism is crucial. One example is Átlátszó in Hungary, another Occrp member center, which has recently been attacked by Orbán’s government for allegedly undermining «national sovereignty».

Finally, on December 9 in Malta, journalist Jacob Borg of The Times of Malta – who worked on the Daphne Project with Occrp and Irpi – was discredited by the Maltese Labour Party’s television network.

The way this investigation was presented contradicts our ethical principles and risks fueling the belief in a “global government of press and information”. As shown, such rhetoric disproportionately harms the most vulnerable members of the international independent journalism network, particularly Occrp member centers working in the most challenging environments. These outlets are accused, without concrete evidence, of operating under the directives of a governmental entity or, perhaps even more gravely, of shielding the United States from Occrp investigations because of its funding.

As clarified by the consortium in a letter to Mediapart, Occrp has conducted numerous investigations into misconduct by the U.S. government. «This includes billions of dollars in CIA-coordinated arms shipments to Syria, the privatization of U.S. drone strikes in Kenya, and corruption involving the U.S. military in Afghanistan».

As is the case with most funds available for independent journalism, the standard clauses in U.S.-related grants ensure total editorial independence. «The Recipient retains sole control over the editorial processes during the performance of this agreement including, but not limited to, the stories and content selected, sources used, and the story angle used», the contracts state.The investigation by Il Fatto Quotidiano, Mediapart, Reporters United, and DropSite News reveals no irregularities, attempting instead to elevate technical and financial mechanisms – clearly outlined in Occrp’s annual reports and publicly available grant websites (FAQs) – to the level of journalistic news.