Ross Ulbricht built an empire in the shadows—a sprawling digital bazaar called The Silk Road, hidden on the dark web. There, drugs, weapons, and stolen secrets flowed freely, all paid for in untraceable cryptocurrency. To his global clientele, he was a legend: the Dread Pirate Roberts. But after a dramatic arrest and a staggering double life sentence, Ulbricht’s fate took another twist. Just days into his second term, President Trump pardoned him, sparking outrage and debate.

So, did he deserve his punishment? Did justice prevail, or was power at play? And how did a digital outlaw become the ultimate wild card in America’s justice system?

In this episode:

Nicholas Cristin (@nc2y), Online Crime Professor at Carnegie Mellon University

David Yaffe-Bellany (@yaffebellany), Technology Reporter for the New York Times

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez

Production Manager: Bronte Baskin

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak and Catherine Nouhan

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman and Rached El-Moctar

Audio editing by Alan Leer

Music composition by Tom Biddle

Translation by Diana Larrea Maccise and Ney Alvarez

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube

Far out in the Pacific, Pitcairn Island was once seen as an untouched paradise.

But beneath the tranquil surface, police uncovered years of devastating abuse—crimes against women and girls that everyone knew about, but no one stopped. When the truth finally emerged, it exploded into a global scandal that shattered lives and exposed a legacy of silence and betrayal. In a place so isolated, can justice ever truly reach the people who need it most?

In this episode:

• Dennis McGookin, Former Detective Superintendent
• Sue Farran, Law Professor at Newcastle University

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez.

Production Manager: Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin..

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman and Rached El-Moctar.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Translation by Diana Larrea Maccise and Ney Alvarez.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube

Karen Rodríguez was kidnapped and murdered by one of Mexico’s most feared cartels in 2014. Most families would have been forced into silence, but not hers.

Refusing to give up, her mum, Miriam Rodríguez, launched her own relentless quest for justice. In a country where cartels operate with impunity, kidnappings are commonplace, and speaking out can get you killed, Miriam’s fearless pursuit turned her into an unlikely hero—and a target.

This is an extraordinary story of a mother’s determination to bring her daughter’s killers to justice and the high price she paid for defying the power of the cartels.

In this episode:

• Ricardo Ravelo (@RRavelo27), journalist
• María Jaramillo Alanís, journalist

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez.

Production Managers: Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Catherine Nouhan

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Translation by Diana Larrea Maccise and Ney Alvarez.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube