16 episodes
Londongrad Tortoise
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- News
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4.7 • 52 Ratings
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Season 2 of Londongrad: Iran's Hit Squads.
Award-winning investigative reporter Paul Caruana Galizia returns to report the story of the foiled assassination attempts on British soil of Iranian nationals. Since January 2022, there has been an attempted assassination or kidnap at least once a month – all ordered by the Iranian government.
In this four-part series, Paul will delve into how these attempts unfolded, why they have become so prevalent and who is behind them. It's a story about Iran, about freedom of the press, but most of all, it’s about Britain – who the country chooses to protect and why.
For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.
For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.
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Introducing Londongrad Season 2: Iran's Hit Squads
Introducing Season 2 of Londongrad: Iran's Hit Squads.
Award-winning investigative reporter Paul Caruana Galizia returns to report the story of the foiled assassination attempts on British soil of Iranian nationals. Since January 2022, there has been an attempted assassination or kidnap at least once a month – all ordered by the Iranian government.
In this four-part series, Paul will delve into how these attempts unfolded, why they have become so prevalent and who is behind them. It's a story about Iran, about freedom of the press, but most of all, it’s about Britain – who the country chooses to protect and why.
Episodes 1 + 2 are available for free. To get early access to final two episodes of the series, and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can access more of our reporting, live events and support our work. Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for an exclusive offer of £60 a year.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Londongrad: Iran's Hit Squads – episode 1: Threat to Life
London is a dark city in the middle of the night- these are the words of Iranian journalist Aliasghar who received a threat to life warning from the Met police. The police told him he was in immediate danger in the capital. In Paul Caruana Galizia's last series, Londongrad, he uncovered the extent of Russian money hidden in London. In season two he comes across another foreign power operating in the city and sets off to try to uncover who is behind the threats.
Episodes 1 + 2 are available for free. To get early access to the final two episodes of the series, and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can access more of our reporting, live events and support our work. Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for an exclusive offer of £60 a year.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Londongrad: Iran's Hit Squads – episode 2: Building 11
A lost photographer in a Chiswick business park, a nervous phone caller in LA and a speedboat bound for Caracas- who exactly are the hit men behind the threats?
Episodes 1 + 2 are available for free. To get early access to the final two episodes of the series, and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can access more of our reporting, live events and support our work. Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for an exclusive offer of £60 a year.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Londongrad: Iran's Hit Squads - episode 3: Department 15
A Hell's Angels leader and an international heroin trafficker are just some of the unlikely hires for Iranian plots abroad. But who else is Iran commissioning for its assassinations and abductions?
To get early access to the final episode and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can access more of our reporting, live events and support our work.
Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for £60 a year.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Londongrad: Iran's Hit Squads - episode 4: The State
There are many competing visions for Iran and for what the country could become. In this episode, Paul asks whether enough is being done to protect Iranians overseas.
To get early access to our reporting and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can also access our live events and support our work.
Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for £60 a year.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Londongrad episode 1: The advance party
Britain prides itself on being impregnable; a country which hasn’t been invaded for 1000 years and can’t be bought. The Lebedevs give the lie to all that. They spent a lot, but not a fortune, buying their way into British public life. And they did it in a way which perhaps nobody had tried before: they amused the people who mattered.
To access the first 3 episodes now subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise as a member. Visit tortoisemedia.com/londongrad and use the code Paul50 for half price membership for £50 per year.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Customer Reviews
Important & Urgent Series Everyone Should Listen To
EDIT: Thank you for removing the paywall on the final episode of Season one, and I’m loving Season two even more than the first. Just please, learn from the past and don’t retroactively paywall this important reporting. Don’t become like the entertainment focused podcasts. No other investigative journalism in the UK or the whole of Europe is as dedicated and thorough as Tortoise Media. I’m a listener from the US, and have learned so much. Paul Galizia is making his mother proud. I hope this reporting partnership continues for a very long time. Stay true to an honest podcast model and don’t make the mistake of removing episodes like the rest presently caught up in this fever dream of 🍏+ greed. The same platform that keyword censors reviews if I include the name of the company CEO Tim Cook works for. RSS is key to a future of a free and open press.
ORIGINAL:
Dear Tortoise Media: Why was the bonus episode paywalled MONTHS after this podcast came out? I’m finally finishing this series, and now I can’t listen to the final episode in this series because Tortoise+ was launched and you retroactively paywalled free AD-Supported episodes! I support Tortoise as an earlier listener, but no, I cannot pay $60/year just to listen to one 33 minute bonus episode. MORE ads were already added to the entire series. How much money is going to get in the way of the impact of investigative reporting. If you actually care about reporting, remove the RETROACTIVE paywall. This is unethical beyond imagination. Are you no different than Wondery? Is this all about money? RE-RELEASE THE BONUS EPISODE back to the feed, which is what was promised to listeners. Going back on this is bait & switch. And TELL listeners when you DELETE episodes from feeds. Whether it’s censored or it’s paywalled — I shouldn’t have to investigate and get upset about missing episodes! Just be transparent and honest. This new model is unsustainable, goes against real podcasting — which is RSS only — and will have massive backlash when the costs of running all these + platforms far outweigh any potential revenue, and inevitably come to an end; you’ll want to be on the right side of history. I’m going to stop listening to ALL podcasts by Publishers practicing this heinous act of retroactively making old podcasts into paywalled “Exclusives.” If you want to grow, then stop betraying your most loyal listeners.
The Iran Lobby has somewhat infiltrated this podcast too
Unfortunately, this otherwise excellent podcast is tainted by quotes from the Iranian government agent and NIAC apologist posing as a reporter, Rana Rahimpour.
Essential listening
The most important podcast you are likely to listen to in the this year definitely, but maybe even the last decade or two…. especially if you are a British citizen. Listen and review, this is historic.