Author: Michel Baljet

"I am Michel Baljet, a Dutch journalist and researcher. My travel has taken me across continents and into conflict zones, where I was regularly in the right place at the wrong time. I am driven by the desire to discover the truth and provide impartial reporting, even if that means immersing myself completely in the most challenging landscapes of our society. I am currently in a period of medical rehabilitation. Despite this temporary setback, I remain resolute in my work, using this time to write about current events and share thought-provoking pieces from my extensive archive. As always, I stand ready to dive back into the wonderful waste heaps of our society as soon as I am able to do so again.

Opinion: Venezuela, a dictatorship headed for civil war.

Wie nog twijfels had over de democratie in Venezuela hoeft niet langer te piekeren. Het laatste kleine beetje democratie is gisteren overboord van het zinkende schip gegooid. Terwijl de wereld toekijkt en het regime van Maduro om de oren slaat met sancties en verzoeken tot een dialoog, vlucht de Venezolaan massaal het land uit. Zij […]

New Revu | The World of Niño Guerrero

Terwijl Venezuela op z’n gat ligt, gaat in de gevangenis het leven gewoon door. Journalist Michel Baljet en fotograaf Joris van Gennip worden bij de ingang opgewacht door twee bewapende gevangenen, bedoeld om bewakers buiten te houden. Welkom in Tocoron, een van de beruchtste gevangenissen van Venezuela. Naast me loopt een jonge soldaat met een […]

In Calais, the refugee never left

Looking out over the now empty, weed-covered site, it is hard to imagine that just over half a year ago nearly 10,000 people lived here. I went back to Calais to see what has changed since the evacuation of the Jungle, the illegal refugee camp next to the tunnel to England. [...]

This is why Wilders is filing charges against Anne Fleur

I do not want to focus substantively on the views of Wilders or Anne Fleur, but address purely the reason for Wilders' denunciation.

Opinion: Fear close to home, that is safe

A year after Brussels, this week seemed like the week of attacks again, but is the situation really that exceptional now?

'I was a worthless son, homeless and criminal'

Today in newspaper. An interview with me about the superficiality of organizations like the ANP and NOS, my work as a freelancer, threats, relationships and my "sometimes" somewhat eventful life. (photo: John Peters)

Answers to last week's 13 most frequently asked questions

Here is the answer to the 13 most frequently asked questions from last week 1: Did you enter Ukraine illegally? I did not enter the DNR through Ukraine but through Russia. Since Ukraine does not recognize the DNR as a country, this is illegal in their eyes. I should note, however, that we are visa-free [...]

MH17, my story

Afgelopen dagen is er veel te doen geweest rondom mijn keuze om resten van de MH17 mee naar Nederland te nemen. Dit is mijn kant van het verhaal. Zondag 25 december vertrok ik (samen met Stefan Beck) via Warschau, Moskou en Rostov naar Donetsk. Het doel van de reis was (o.a.) om onderzoek te doen […]

i was the jungle calais when it was dismantled this is what i saw

Click here for more photos from the Jungle.

A glimmer of hope within the gates of hell

How a boy of 27 manages to bring hope to a place where people are losing their dreams for the future.

Michel Baljet

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