Decrypted

In North Korea, markets were never supposed to exist.And yet, they did.During the famine of the 1990s, as the state failed to provide food, people began trading to survive. What started as a desperate response slowly grew into something much larger, a hidden economy operating in plain sight.At the center of it were women.And in the process, survival came to depend on something the system had never intended.

Decrypted is a storytelling podcast about politics and history.Each episode explores the ideas, decisions, and experiences that shape the world, often focusing on what gets overlooked.From hidden markets in North Korea to pivotal moments like the 1953 Iran crisis, Decrypted traces the stories behind major events, focusing on the people living through them.More stories to come.

August 1953, Tehran.The CIA and MI6 overthrew Iran's Prime Minister Mosaddegh, reshaping the country's political destiny and collective memory.This episode tells the story of a covert operation that changed a country and its people forever.

January 19, 1961. Katanga.The lifeless body of Patrice Lumumba was found near Elisabethville, the capital of Katanga province.In the official death certificate, it was written simply that he died "in the bush."What happened? Why would the democratically elected prime minister of a newly independent country end up dead in the wilderness? What interests did Lumumba's mere existence threaten?

December 28, 2025. Tehran.Domestic unrest is once again shaking Iran. The political climate is tense, and security forces are launching a brutal crackdown.Despite a government-imposed blackout, first-hand accounts continue to emerge, and they are harrowing.What is happening in Iran?

December 8th, 2024. Syria.The Assad regime collapsed almost overnight. Since then, everything has been moving fast. Despite a troubling past, the new president is shaking hands with world leaders. Western countries are lifting sanctions. Syria, once a pariah state, is welcomed back into the Arab League, received at the Élysée, and hosted at the White House.But one question lingers: How is Syria really doing?This is a partial account of what went right and what went wrong, beyond the handshakes, receptions, and press conferences.

October 31st, 2025. New York.Inside the quiet chamber of the UN Security Council, a historic vote took place: Resolution 2797.For many, this resolution is just one document among dozens adopted each year. But for Morocco, it marks the end of a 50-year struggle that weighed heavily on its economy, military, diplomacy, and people.This is the story of a vote that could end one of the last territorial disputes of the 21st century.

In December 2024, the regime of Bashar al-Assad collapsed, ending the 61-year ruthless rule of the Ba'ath Party. Since then, Syria has been undertaking a difficult test. Assad's departure may signal Damascus is ready to break from its authoritarian past, but to what extent is this true? What makes the path ahead of Syria fragile and uncertain? Is it possible for dictatorship to resurface? How can such a scenario be prevented?

The Oufkir case is one of the dark chapters in Morocco’s history. It is a case about power, trust, treason and injustice. It is also a case about life and how it can turn upside down so quickly. So what happened? Who is Oufkir? How has this name become almost taboo in Morocco? And what is the price of treason?

More than 60 years ago, the French capital witnessed a harrowing colonial massacre. Under the authority of Maurice Papon, an ex-Nazi collaborator, the police killed more than 250 Algerians for protesting against a discriminatory curfew.

Historical annals document a lot of genocides: the German genocide in Namibia, the Rwanda genocide, Darfur, and the Holocaust, to name just a few. But, do we really understand what genocide is? What qualifies as genocide and what doesn’t? Can committing genocide be justified? What do legal texts tell us?

On March 31st, Erdoğan's AKP was not able to restore control over large cities, including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Despite the absence of a coalition, the CHP achieved a stunning victory, echoing its success in 1977. But why? What explains the opposition’s victory? What explains the AKP’s loss? What do the results say about the Turkish electorate? Do they signal the beginning of the end of the Erdoğan era?

Article 1 of the French Constitution maintains that France is a ‘laïque’ republic that ensures the equality of all citizens regardless of origin, race or religion. But, what is laïcité? What are its origins? Is laïcité inherently anti-religion?

From hosting the World Cup 2022 to signing multimillion-dollar offers with prominent footballers, why do some countries invest in football? What about Saudi Arabia and Qatar? What is sportswashing? What is the dark side of football investment?

In the Middle East, the relationship between football and politics is entangled because the stadium is not exclusively a sports space. How has football spread to the region? What is the relationship between football and the struggle for independence? How is football associated with repression, freedom, oppression, and emancipation?

Two countries sharing borders, history, language, and religion are supposed to be friends. So, what explains the animosity between Morocco and Algeria? This episode digs into French colonization, border delineation, and miscommunication to explain why Morocco and Algeria are foes.

Testimonies, graphic images, and calls for help. What is happening to migrants in Tunisia? What explains the government's behavior towards migrants? What does the European Union have to do with this? Who is right and who is wrong? Is it even right to ask this question?

Syria is currently the world's leading producer of Captagon, a cheap and addictive narcotic. How is the Syrian regime involved in this illicit industry? How does Captagon impact Syria's neighbors? How are they responding to the Captagon crisis?

What is Decrypted? What themes does it focus on? What audience is it intended for? On what basis are episodes released?