Laurie Treffers
I am an investigative journalist based in Amsterdam, specialising in OSINT (open-source investigation). At the Dutch daily newspaper de Volkskrant, I focus on visual investigations into modern conflict and hybrid warfare.
CV
Work experience
February 2025 - current / de Volkskrant
Investigative journalist for Dutch daily newspaper de Volkskrant.2024 / Nieuwsuur
Open-source investigations journalist for current affairs TV programme Nieuwsuur.2022 – 2023 / freelance
Journalist, researcher and copywriter for a diverse range of clients.2019 – 2021 / Airwars
Conflict researcher focused on alleged US-led Coalition and Russian airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.
Education
2017 – 2018 / MA Conflict Studies & Human Rights (cum laude)
Utrecht University2014 – 2017 / BA Culture and Language Studies (cum laude)
Utrecht University, minor in Conflict Studies and Politics & Religion2012 – 2014 / School for Journalism (first-year certificate)
Utrecht University for Applied Sciences
Investigations
Important note: This is a selection of investigations I have worked on. Every story is the result of a collaborative process with reporters, videomakers, local journalists, visual storystellers, developers and/or graphic designers.
February 2026 / De Volkskrant. This story analyses how memorial services for killed protesters became sites of resistance during Iran’s renewed anti-regime protests earlier this year, revealing how Iranians transformed rituals of mourning into acts of public defiance when the streets grew too dangerous for protest.
February 2026 / De Volkskrant. Investigation into oil fraud linked to the Port of Rotterdam, where a multimillion-euro criminal enterprise has evolved from targeting businesses online to posing a direct threat to safety in Europe’s largest port.
December 2025 / De Volkskrant. Our reporting on the increased use of so-called disposable agents in Ukraine and Russia examines how this emerging tactic functions less as a military strategy than as a tool of psychological warfare.
May 2025 / De Volkskrant This investigation revealed that one in five Leopard 2 tanks delivered to Ukraine has been destroyed on the battlefield, two years after European countries began supplying them.
June 2024 / Nieuwsuur. This investigation exposed the extent of home demolitions in Mariupol since the start of the Russian occupation. We uncovered the number of homes destroyed and revealed how Russian real estate brokers are operating within the city, highlighting the broader implications for displaced civilians.Nominated for the 2024 De Loep, annual Dutch-Flemish award for investigative journalism.
July 2024 / Nieuwsuur. This investigation into a donation platform registered in the Netherlands uncovered how Russian military bloggers used the platform to collect money for weapons and military equipment for Russian forces in Ukraine.
April 2024 / Nieuwsuur. Analysis of the destruction in Gaza after six months of war. Using recent social media footage and satellite imagery, I uncovered that at least 25 out of 32 hospitals in Gaza were damaged during that time period.
Contact
Do you have a question about my work? Do you want to work together on an investigation? Email me at [email protected].You can also reach out on LinkedIn.