Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 13 hours ago
Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, who was accused of treason by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the lead-up to Hungary’s latest elections, speaks about what happens when the state begins using military tools against its own reporters.
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Timestamps:
0:00 Investigating rapes with political ties
7:39 Investigating Russian operations in Hungary
11:27 First story that drew attention of secret services
17:00 Working under state surveillance
22:30 How Szabolcs learned about the spyware on his phone
28:15 Discovering the database of journalists surveilled by Pegasus
34:20 The cost of surveillance for the state
37:25 Recovering from paranoia after experiencing surveillance
39:22 Calling the government official who tested Pegasus on his phone
42:40 Why journalists should not be surveilled
45:50 What people get wrong about investigative journalism
Szabolcs Panyi has reported for years on Russian influence operations in Hungary. In the lead-up to the 2026 election, the Hungarian government accused him of espionage, including spying for Ukraine, and filed criminal charges against him.
In an interview with Pavla Holcová, Editor-in-Chief of investigace.cz, conducted prior to this latest smear campaign against him, Panyi speaks about the major cases involving corruption and Russian influence that he has worked on.
He describes the moment he discovered he was among the targets of surveillance using Pegasus spyware, and what it was like to find his name in a database alongside mobsters, politicians, and other journalists
"I felt pride, shame, shock. But above all, adrenaline. And in a certain twisted sense, even a feeling of happiness," he says.
This episode is a raw testimony about fear, anger, determination, and professional obsession. It is about what happens when an investigative journalist encounters a system that is democratic in name only.
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Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, who was accused of treason by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the lead-up to Hungary’s latest elections, speaks about what happens when the state begins using military tools against its own reporters.
Subscribe to OCCRP on YouTube ► https://shorturl.at/BSzsh
Timestamps:
0:00 Investigating rapes with political ties
7:39 Investigating Russian operations in Hungary
11:27 First story that drew attention of secret services
17:00 Working under state surveillance
22:30 How Szabolcs learned about the spyware on his phone
28:15 Discovering the database of journalists surveilled by Pegasus
34:20 The cost of surveillance for the state
37:25 Recovering from paranoia after experiencing surveillance
39:22 Calling the government official who tested Pegasus on his phone
42:40 Why journalists should not be surveilled
45:50 What people get wrong about investigative journalism
Szabolcs Panyi has reported for years on Russian influence operations in Hungary. In the lead-up to the 2026 election, the Hungarian government accused him of espionage, including spying for Ukraine, and filed criminal charges against him.
In an interview with Pavla Holcová, Editor-in-Chief of investigace.cz, conducted prior to this latest smear campaign against him, Panyi speaks about the major cases involving corruption and Russian influence that he has worked on.
He describes the moment he discovered he was among the targets of surveillance using Pegasus spyware, and what it was like to find his name in a database alongside mobsters, politicians, and other journalists
"I felt pride, shame, shock. But above all, adrenaline. And in a certain twisted sense, even a feeling of happiness," he says.
This episode is a raw testimony about fear, anger, determination, and professional obsession. It is about what happens when an investigative journalist encounters a system that is democratic in name only.
Follow OCCRP
Instagram ►► instagram.com/occrp
Facebook ►► facebook.com/OCCRP.org
Tik Tok ►► tiktok.com/@occrp.org
LinkedIn ►► linkedin.com/company/the-organized-crime-and-corruption-reporting-project
Twitter ►► https://x.com/OCCRP
