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September 12, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Civic Brief • Intelligence

John Kiriakou

John Kiriakou is an American former Central Intelligence Agency officer, author, and whistleblower.

Updated September 12, 20261 min readCited sources

John Kiriakou is an American former Central Intelligence Agency officer, author, and whistleblower. He became widely known in 2007 for confirming that the CIA used waterboarding, and was later convicted for disclosing classified information.

Early life and CIA career

Kiriakou was born in 1964 and joined the CIA in 1990, working as an intelligence analyst and operations officer. His roles included assignments with the Counterterrorism Center and later as a senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In 2007, Kiriakou publicly confirmed that the CIA had used waterboarding on detainees, making him a central figure in the debate over post-9/11 interrogation methods. In 2012, he was charged with disclosing the identity of a covert CIA officer to a journalist. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison, serving about two years before release in 2015.

Post-release work and recognition

After his release, Kiriakou continued writing and speaking on intelligence, whistleblowing, and civil liberties. He received several awards, including the PEN First Amendment Award and the Sam Adams Award, recognizing his activism and First Amendment advocacy.

In short

  • Confirmed CIA waterboarding in 2007
  • Convicted for disclosing a covert officer's identity
  • Sentenced to 30 months, served roughly two years
  • Received whistleblowing awards after release
Canadian angle

Kiriakou is relevant to Canadian readers through broader debates over intelligence oversight, torture, whistleblowing, and national security policy, especially in allied U.S.-Canadian security cooperation.

Quick questions

Who is John Kiriakou?
John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer, author, and whistleblower known for confirming CIA waterboarding in 2007.
Why was John Kiriakou imprisoned?
He was convicted for disclosing classified information identifying a covert CIA officer to a journalist, and sentenced to 30 months in prison.
What did John Kiriakou reveal about the CIA?
He said the CIA used waterboarding on detainees during the post-9/11 interrogation program.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kiriakou
    Supports: Birth date, CIA career, public confirmation of waterboarding, indictment, conviction, and sentence.
  2. U.S. Department of Justice — https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/former-cia-officer-sentenced-30-months-revealing-identity-20-plus-year-covert-cia
    Supports: Plea agreement, conviction details, and 30-month sentence.
  3. Government Accountability Project — https://whistleblower.org/bio-john-kiriakou/
    Supports: Career summary, whistleblowing, prison sentence, and later recognition.
  4. Institute for Policy Studies — https://ips-dc.org/ips_author/john-kiriakou/
    Supports: Former CIA and Senate Foreign Relations Committee roles, whistleblowing, prison term, and awards.