ASSASSINS
History often moves slowly, almost imperceptibly. But sometimes, the world is changed forever by a single, brutal act of violence. ASSASSINS tells the stories of these moments of chaos and fire. Each week host Aslan Pahari will bring you stories of the world's most shocking assassinations that changed the course of history. From the lone wolf hitman to the professional assassin, you'll hear how famous figures like Abraham Lincoln, Benazir Bhutto, Ramses III, Tupac, Rasputin, and Gandhi met their end and the fallout when the world is upended by an assassin's hand.
Episodes
PRESENTS... This Stupid War (No One Saw It Coming)
This week, ASSASSINS presents "This Stupid War", a series from our friends at No One Saw It Coming.
On the trail of the Red Prince: Palestine's Ali Hassan Salameh
In the 1970s, there was one man that Mossad just couldn't seem to cross off its kill list: Ali Hassan Salameh. So who was he and why was he so hard to catch?
Operation Wrath of God: Israel's 'kill list'
'Operation Wrath of God' was an assassination campaign across Europe and the Middle East that cemented Mossad's reputation as a formidable opponent.
The 1972 Olympics hostage crisis
The 1972 Munich Olympics were supposed to be the games that showed the world a new, open Germany. Instead, it became the backdrop for one of the most watched acts of terrorism in history.
The Mossad assassination of Ghassan Kanafani
Nine days after a massacre at an Israeli airport, Mossad assassinates one of the Arab world's most celebrated writers in Beirut.Ghassan Kanafani never carried a gun. But his words had power and influence, and he was a spokesperson for the group who carried out the bloody airport attack.The first part in our special series about Israel and Palestine in the 1970s is about the life
Hit Em Up: The assassination of Tupac Shakur [UPDATE]
UPDATE: On August 31st 2026, Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis was found guilty of orchestrating the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. Prosecutors argued that Davis supplied the weapon, and ordered the shooting – but did not pull the trigger himself. Davis maintains his innocence and says he will appeal the conviction.
1990s Cabramatta: Australia’s heroin capital
Cabramatta was the epicentre of Australia's worst heroin epidemic. It was also the electorate of John Newman, the state MP gunned down outside his own home in 1994. This week we look beyond the assassination and into the epidemic itself, with Don Weatherburn, a professor at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW.
Who killed the Australian politician John Newman?
John Newman, the Australian politician, was shot dead in his driveway while he was still in office.The gunman has never been found.Newman was the State MP for the south-western Sydney electorate of Cabramatta.At the time of his death, the suburb was in the throes of a massive heroin epidemic.Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Tegan Nicholls, Emrys CroninVideo
How an Al Qaeda propagandist fell for a long-con
When Anwar al-Awlaki joined Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, he knew he could be jailed or killed by the US government.What he didn’t know was that his death would come at the hands of a person he trusted with his life.
Anwar Al-Awlaki: a US citizen assassinated on foreign soil (Part 1)
It was the first killing of an American citizen by his own government, without a trial, on foreign soil. And it was President Barack Obama who approved the order.
Who killed the most powerful man in British India?
The Viceroy of India was considered the most powerful man in Britain’s most valuable colony. An untouchable figure representing the Crown with all its power. And yet, he was killed in an unlikely place, by an unlikely man. A man whose motives are still questioned today. Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Emrys CroninVideo Producers: Tejas Bhat, Dylan BehanSp
The Chinese re-education camps for Muslim "extremists"
Yalkun Uluyol has not seen or spoken to his father since 2018 — until recently he wasn't even sure if his father was still alive.That's because his father had disappeared into a Chinese re-education and training camp for ethnic Uyghur Muslims in the far west of the country.The Chinese government admits to creating "vocational education and training centres" as part of its campaig
The killing of a Uyghur Imam in China
Juma Tayir was an ethnic Uyghur. He was also the Chief Imam of China's largest mosque.In 2014, during a security crackdown by the Chinese Government, Tayir was brutally assassinated outside the mosque.But who wanted Juma Tayir dead — and why?Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Tegan Nicholls, Emrys CroninVideo Producers: Tejas Bhat, Dylan BehanSpecial thanks: M
Pim Fortuyn: The anti-Islam populist
In the early 2000s, Pim Fortuyn was one of the most famous gay politicians in the world. Determined to protect the tradition of progressive Dutch values, Fortuyn was also anti-immigration, and a fierce critic of Islam. All this against a backdrop of the War on Terror, which, at the time was in full swing. Host: Aslan Pahari Producer: Hannah Jose Audio Engineer: Tegan Nicholls
L FRESH The LION on Sidhu Moose Wala and the Punjabi diaspora
You might know L-FRESH The LION from tracks like 1 in 100,000 or his Like A Version performance of Survive on triple j. As a Sikh Punjabi-Australian artist, he’s built his career around questions of identity and culture and the melding of musical genres. In the final instalment of our Punjabi music special, Aslan sits down with L-FRESH to talk about the Punjabi musicians who’ve i
Punjab’s Elvis: Chamkila gunned down at a wedding
Chamkila, the so-called 'Elvis of Punjab', famously outraged religious leaders with his 'vulgar' music.But what was so taboo about his songs that he was forced to fold his hands and apologise?And in the end, that apology wasn't enough!In 1988, Punjabi musician and cultural icon Amar Singh Chamkila had his rise cut cruelly short.To this day, it's not clear who pulled the trigger.H
The mystery of who murdered Moose Wala
July 2022.Drake, the famous and at times controversial musician, takes to the stage in his home city of Toronto, Canada.That evening, Drake performs in a sweatshirt emblazoned with the face of a turbaned Punjabi man.And underneath the image, in large black font, is his name: Sidhu Moose Wala. 1993 to 2022.So, who is this man on Drake's sweatshirt? And why is he dead?This is the f
The cult of Thomas Becket the martyr
During the middle Ages, the shrine of Thomas Becket was one of the most popular destinations for Christian pilgrims.Aslan talks to Mary McGilivray about the cult of St Thomas, the pilgrims who went to see the place he died, and the medieval souvenirs they took home.And if you haven't yet, check out our recent full episode about the assassination of Thomas Becket.Host: Aslan Pahar
The assassination that created a saint
The murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170 rocked medieval Europe.For hundreds of years, the place of his death — Canterbury Cathedral — became one of the most popular Christian pilgrimage destinations in the world.Thomas Becket was even made a saint.But why did this man become such an important and influential figure after his death?Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAud
The assassination of British MP Jo Cox
After the young British MP Jo Cox was assassinated in 2016, police raided the house of her killer. He lived in Cox’s West Yorkshire electorate, a region with a large and flourishing South Asian population. Inside his home were disturbing clues about what motivated his attack. Neighbours had thought that the assassin was harmless, just a quiet, solitary middle-aged man. But the l
The Trung Sisters who took on the Chinese Empire
In the year 40 AD, the Trung sisters led one of the most incredible rebellions against China, taking on the powerful Eastern Han dynasty. Born into an aristocratic family in what’s now northern Vietnam, the sisters were trained from an early age in combat and military strategy. Sparked by an assassination, they went to war. But history holds different accounts of how this story e
The American journalist assassinated in Karachi
When Daniel Pearl touches down in Karachi, Pakistan, he knows he's taking a risk.A big one.He's a Jewish American reporter for the Wall Street Journal, investigating terrorism in a country hostile to America.He’s also highly experienced and well-versed in security protocols.So how does it all go so wrong?Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Tegan NichollsVideo P
How to defeat the Sicilian mafia: Part two
Magistrate Giovanni Falcone should have been too scared to take on the Sicilian mafia.After all, many of his colleagues had died trying to bring the Cosa Nostra to justice.So how did he do it? And why was victory, when it came, so bittersweet?This is the second in a two-part series about mafia assassinations in Italy.Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Tegan Ni
The magistrate vs the mafia: Part one
The Italian mafia once held regular meetings to decide which public figure needed to be assassinated.Some decisions were because of long-held grudges by these Sicilian "men of honour".Other killings were about stopping someone from challenging the mafia's power in southern Italy.For Sicilian magistrate Cesare Terranova, both of those reasons made him the target of the notorious C
The plot to kill Iran's loudest dissident — Masih Alinejad
Would-be assassins have tried to kill or abduct Masih Alinejad at least three times. Somehow, she's still alive.The former Iranian journalist fled her home country over 15 years ago.From America, she started a hugely popular global campaign against Iran's hijab laws.But why do people want her dead? Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Tegan NichollsVideo Produce
Jamal Khashoggi and the Saudi hit squad that dismembered him
Who wins in a feud between a Washington Post journalist… and his own Crown Prince?Saudi Arabian columnist Jamal Khashoggi ran monthly op-eds about how Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was ruining his country.But MBS is not a man who's known for his tolerance.And something snapped.Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Tegan NichollsVideo Producers: Dylan Behan, Te
The Army of God and the killing of abortion doctors (Part 2)
The Army of God has been described by the American government as a domestic underground Christian terrorist organisation.The group's been accused of organising arson and bomb attacks against abortion clinics. But was it also connected to the 2009 killing of abortion provider Dr George Tiller?NOTE: This episode is the second in two parts series about the American abortion provider
The anti-abortion assassin (Part 1)
Bombings. Break-ins. Setting fire to abortion clinics. The extremist wing of the anti-abortion movement in the United States has actively targeted clinics that provide abortions to women. But it has also attacked the humans working there, sometimes with deadly consequences. This week, the 2009 assassination of Dr George Tiller, a high-profile abortion provider in Kansas. Host:
Is Aurangzeb India’s most significant assassin?
The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the majestic Taj Mahal to commemorate his beloved wife Mumtaz after she died.The couple's children, however, were far less loving with each other.They fought a bloody battle of succession that divided them all and ended with Aurangzeb assassinating his brother, Dara Shikoh.How did things get so bad in this powerful 17th century family?Host: Asl
“Z”: The Oscar-winning film banned in Greece
At the 1970 Academy Awards the movie "Z" won the Oscar for best foreign film.The film opens with this line: "Any similarity to actual persons and events is not coincidental. It is INTENTIONAL".You see, it was inspired by the real-life assassination of Greek athlete turned activist, Grigoris Lambrakis.Released just 6 years after his killing, the film was immediately banned in his
The Greek Olympian assassinated by right wing extremists
The Greek Olympic long jumper Grigoris Lambrakis was assassinated by right wing extremists in front of police and a crowd of witnesses.Just one month earlier he had walked the full Marathon route in Greece to protest war and military power.His killing shook the nation and foreshadowed the rise of the military dictatorship he had long feared was coming.Host: Aslan PahariProducer:
Alexei Navalny: Catfishing the Kremlin
There aren't many Russians who can get away with insulting their president, Vladimir Putin.But for most of his career, Alexei Navalny did.This week, the story of Russia's most famous dissident, and the lengths it took to kill him.Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Tegan NichollsVideo Producers: Tejas BhatSpecial thanks: Michael Osmond for archives researchSupe
Did TV kill the Saudi King Faisal?
In 1975 a young Saudi prince entered the royal palace and shot dead the king, Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.The killing was both personal and political, linked to the death of a brother, the tension between tradition and modernisation, and the introduction of television to the desert kingdom.Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Tegan NichollsVideo Producers: Chlo
Berta Cáceres: The environmentalist killed by big business
When Indigenous woman Berta Cáceres helps organise a months-long blockade against multinationals in Honduras she immediately becomes a target.It's 2016, and Honduras is the deadliest country per capita for environmental activists.But Berta and the Lenca people refuse to back down.Their sacred river is at stake.Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: Tegan NichollsV
Who betrayed Indira Gandhi?
Indira Gandhi, India's first and only female Prime Minister, had many enemies.But after her government ordered tanks to fire on the Golden Temple, one of Sikhism's holiest sites, the backlash became inevitable.Little did she know that her assassin would come from her most trusted inner circle…Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: John JacobsVideo Producer: Tejas
Rasputin: The drunk Russian monk who refused to die
It's said that Rasputin, the so-called 'mad monk', had supernatural abilities, could hypnotise people, and was quite the philanderer…It's also said that he was incredibly tricky to assassinate.But how much of that is true?And what's with people claiming to have preserved his severed penis in a jar?Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAudio Engineer: John JacobsVideo Producer: T
Ahmad Shah Massoud: The man who warned the world about 9/11
Five months before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Afghan resistance commander Ahmad Shah Massoud warned the western world that Al Qaeda was planning something big.But no one took him seriously.And just two days before they committed the most lethal terrorist attack in history, Al Qaeda assassinated Massoud too.But in the carnage that followed, the world barely noticed.Host: Aslan Pa
Why was Mahatma Gandhi killed by one of his own?
Editor's note (22/12/2025): In this episode, we discuss how, under Gandhi's leadership, the spinning wheel became a symbol of rebellion in India. We then say, "Which is why, to this day, that wheel appears on the Indian flag." This is incorrect. Although it is true that the spinning wheel featured on an earlier version of the Indian flag, in 1947 it was replaced by the Ashoka Cha
The Iranian nuclear scientist killed in a Hollywood-style hit
In 2020, Iran's top nuclear scientist, Professor Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was gunned down on a remote stretch of road outside Tehran.But as the dust settled, one thing stood out as being particularly strange.Apart from the victim, his wife, and their security detail, there was no one else around.No assailants, no witnesses, and no collateral damage.Israel was the prime suspect.Had the
The many attempts to kill Donald Trump
July 2024. Donald Trump is speaking at a political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when his speech is interrupted by a volley of gunshots.Trump instinctively touches his right ear and drops to the ground where he's swarmed by his security detail — who quickly move to get him out of the firing line.Surrounded by security, blood streaming down the right side of his face, Trump raises
A home-made gun, a cult, and the assassination of Japan’s Shinzo Abe
As the longest serving Prime Minister in Japan's history, Shinzo Abe deserved a relaxing retirement. Instead, he was out on the campaign trail for a colleague when an assassin's bullet struck.But this wasn't a politically motivated kill.It was actually connected to a global cult-like religion. And a young man whose mother was in too deep.Host: Aslan PahariProducer: Hannah JoseAud
Hit 'Em Up: The assassination of Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur was a poet. A performer. A radical. He might have only been alive for 25 years, but in that time, he became the voice of his generation. And then one night, after a fight in Las Vegas, he was shot four times and left for dead. This is his story.How he lived. How he fought. And how, nearly three decades later, his murder is still being untangled and interrogated.Host:
Atiq Ahmed: Gunned down on live TV
You'd never expect to see an assassination broadcast on live TV.But that's exactly what happened in 2023.In the badlands of India's most populous state, a gangster-turned-politician met his end while millions watched.So what did the notorious Atiq Ahmed do to get himself publicly executed? How did his assassins get through a police escort to reach him?And who was powerful enough
An ancient mystery solved by modern science!
For over 3000 years, the death of Pharaoh Ramses III was one of history's great mysteries.Then, in 2012, scientists cracked the case, revealing that Ramses III, the last of Egypt's Great Pharaohs, had been assassinated.But how did they do it?Science journalist Maddie Massy joins Aslan Pahari to dig deep into this discovery, and how scientists use cutting edge technology to reveal
Who killed Ramses III? How scientists found murder in an Egyptian mummy
Is Ancient Egypt's 3000-year-old murder mystery history's coldest case?Ramses III was the last of Egypt's Great Pharaohs; a saviour of the empire, a military genius, a god-king.But for over 3000 years, his death remained a mystery. Then, in 2012, scientists uncovered the truth.They found a wound nobody had noticed before — the type of wound that could only have one explanation: P
Charlotte Corday: The Angel of Assassination
How long do you remain conscious for after having your head chopped off?For centuries, people thought that a severed head might be aware of what's going on for up to 30 seconds after decapitation — or even longer!That folklore has its origins in the assassination of revolutionary leader Jean-Paul Marat by Charlotte Corday, the French Revolution's "Angel of Assassination".You migh
The samurai assassins who killed a Korean Empress
How do you assassinate someone when you don't know what they look like?The K-Pop Demon Hunter of her time, Korea's first empress, Queen Min, was a total bad ass. But there weren't any reliable images of her, so no one beyond her immediate court knew what she looked like.Which turned out to be a problem when samurai assassins, part of a rabble-rousing mob, stormed her palace early
Who killed Benazir Bhutto?
Almost two decades after her assassination we still don't know who killed Benazir Bhutto.But that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of theories about who had the means and the motive.As the first woman to become prime minister of a Muslim country, Bhutto went toe-to-toe with the totalitarian forces that killed her father and controlled her country.To her supporters, she represented
Abraham Lincoln's celebrity assassin
There have been few assassinations as notorious or consequential as Abraham Lincoln's.But for years before he killed the President, Lincoln’s assassin was a household name across North America. In fact, stage actor John Wilkes Booth was so famous that many people had images of him hung on the walls of their homes.So how does an American celebrity kill an American President in fro
INTRODUCING — ASSASSINS with Aslan Pahari
Aslan Pahari brings you stories of the world's most shocking assassinations. From seizing power, to silencing dissidents, ASSASSINS unpacks the moments in which someone decides that murder is the move.Every episode will be available as audio and video, just search for ASSASSINS with Aslan Pahari on the ABC listen app, ABC iview or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find
