Thread by @OCCRP

NEW: The whistleblower behind the #PanamaPapers is speaking out for the first time since 2016.

In an interview with @derspiegel’s @f_obermaier and @b_obermayer, John Doe says offshore secrecy is enabling Vladimir Putin’s war machine. occrp.org/en/panamapaper…

2) This interview is the first time the whistleblower has spoken publicly since shortly after the publication of the Panama Papers, a massive collaborative investigation led by @ICIJorg.

Here are our stories from the award-winning project: occrp.org/en/panamapaper…

3) In this new interview, the whistleblower discusses the rise of authoritarianism, the ongoing threat of corporate crime, and what other whistleblowers can do to protect themselves.

Below are a few highlights from the Q&A 👇

4) The whistleblower called on the U.S. government to pardon @Snowden, crediting him with keeping the issue of mass surveillance in the public consciousness.

5) The whistleblower called on all governments to implement publicly accessible corporate registries "from the British Virgin Islands to Anguilla to the Seychelles to Labuan to Delaware."

6) The whistleblower complained that German authorities had not kept their promises, but encouraged other potential leakers to still come forward:

7) German journalists @f_obermaier @b_obermayer conducted this interview for @derspiegel.

You can follow their latest work on their new investigative start up @paper_trail_m.