SOC ACE Researcher Jessica Davis Featured on CANADALAND Podcast

SOC ACE researcher Dr Jessica Davis is featured on a recent episode of the CANADALAND podcast, “Is Iran Behind Attacks in Canada?”, which examines allegations of Iranian involvement in attacks on Canadian soil and explores the broader use of proxy actors in state-sponsored violence.

Drawing on insights from her SOC ACE-funded research project, Criminal Hands, State Ends: State-Sponsored Assassinations Using Organised Crime, Davis discusses how states can leverage criminal networks to conduct activities ranging from targeted violence and intimidation to transnational repression, while maintaining plausible deniability. Her expertise helps unpack the complex relationships that can emerge between organised crime groups, state actors and national security threats.

In conversation with host Noor Azrieh, Davis explores what is currently known about the case at the centre of the podcast, how state-backed proxy networks operate, and the challenges faced by intelligence and law-enforcement agencies in identifying and responding to state-sponsored criminal activity.

The episode highlights the growing relevance of SOC ACE research to contemporary security, organised crime and foreign interference debates. It also demonstrates how evidence generated through the programme can inform public discussion and policymaking on the evolving nexus between organised crime and state power.

Listen to the Episode 1319 of CANADALAND here on your preferred podcast platform: Apple | Spotify