Al Jazeera Media Network has submitted a formal request to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute those responsible for killing veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

Abu Akleh, a television correspondent with Al Jazeera for 25 years, was killed by Israeli forces on May 11 as she was covering an Israeli military raid on a refugee camp in Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.

The 51-year-old Jerusalem native and US citizen was a household name and a widely respected journalist who gave a voice to Palestinians through her coverage of the Israeli occupation.

‘A wider pattern’

The request includes a dossier on a comprehensive six-month investigation by Al Jazeera that gathers all available eyewitness evidence and video footage, as well as new material on the killing of Abu Akleh.

The request submitted to the ICC is presented “in the context of a wider attack on Al Jazeera, and journalists in Palestine”, said Rodney Dixon KC, a lawyer for Al Jazeera, referring to incidents such as the bombing of the network’s Gaza office on May 15, 2021.

Network says evidence it presented overturns claims by Israeli authorities that the Palestinian journalist was killed in a crossfire.

“It’s not a single incident, it’s a killing that is part of a wider pattern that the prosecution should be investigating to identify those who are responsible for the killing, and to bring charges against them,” he said.

“The focus is on Shireen, and this particular killing, this outrageous killing. But the evidence we submit looks at all of the acts against Al Jazeera because it has been targeted as an international media organisation.

“And the evidence shows that what the [Israeli] authorities are trying to do is to shut it up,” Dixon said.

Al Jazeera hopes the ICC prosecutor “does actually start the investigation of this case” after the network’s request, Dixon said. The request complements the complaint submitted to the ICC by Abu Akleh’s family in September, supported by the Palestinian Press Syndicate and the International Federation of Journalists.

A new documentary by Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines shows how Abu Akleh and other journalists, wearing protective helmets and bulletproof vests clearly marked with the word “PRESS”, were walking down a road in view of Israeli forces when they came under fire.

Abu Akleh was shot in the head as she tried to shield herself by a carob tree. Al Jazeera producer Ali al-Samoudi was also shot in the shoulder.

The new evidence submitted by Al Jazeera shows “Shireen and her colleagues were directly fired at by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)”, Al Jazeera Media Network said in a statement on Tuesday.

The statement added the evidence overturns claims by Israeli authorities that Shireen was killed in crossfire and it “confirms, without any doubt, that there was no firing in the area where Shireen was, other than the IOF shooting directly at her”.

“The evidence shows that this deliberate killing was part of a wider campaign to target and silence Al Jazeera,” the statement said.

Troops from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will never be questioned, said Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday.

“No one will interrogate IDF soldiers and no one will preach to us about morals of combat, certainly not the Al Jazeera Network,” Lapid said.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz expressed condolences to the Abu Akleh family and said Israel’s military operates at “the highest standards”.

Next steps

Speaking outside the entrance of the ICC on the cloudy, brisk morning after Al Jazeera submitted its request, Lina Abu Akleh, who wore a badge with her aunt’s face, said the family was hopeful they would see “positive results soon”.

“We expect that the prosecutor will seek truth and justice and we expect that the court will deliver in holding institutions and individuals responsible of this crime accountable for killing my aunt,” she said.

Abu Akleh’s older brother, Anton, said the network’s submission was significant for the family.

“This is very important to us not only for Shireen – nothing can bring Shireen back – but this will ensure that such crimes are stopped and hopefully the ICC will be able to take immediate action to put an end to this impunity.”

Walid al-Omari, the Al Jazeera bureau chief in Jerusalem and a friend and colleague of Abu Akleh, said it is critical to keep the case alive in public opinion. “We don’t think Israel should escape from accountability.”

Once the ICC has reviewed the evidence it will decide whether it will probe Abu Akleh’s killing as part of ongoing investigations.

‘Hold killers accountable’

In 2021, the ICC decided it has jurisdiction over the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. Al Jazeera’s submission requests the killing of Abu Akleh become part of this wider investigation.

“We’re making a request for an investigation that leads to charges being brought and those responsible being prosecuted,” said Dixon.

Investigations carried out by the United Nations, Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations, and international news outlets concluded that Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli soldier.

The Abu Akleh family has called for a “thorough, transparent investigation” by the US FBI and Department of State to reveal the chain of command that led to the death of a US citizen.

“In short, we would like [US President Joe] Biden to do in Shireen’s case what his and previous US administrations have failed to do when other American citizens were killed by Israel: Hold the killers accountable,” Lina Abu Akleh wrote in Al Jazeera in July.

In November the US  announced an FBI probe into the killing of Abu Akleh, news welcomed by her family.

But, Dixon cautioned, this probe should not be a reason for the ICC not to act.

“They can they can work together with … the FBI, so that this case doesn’t fall between the cracks, and that those responsible are identified and put on trial.”

Debunking shifting narratives

The Fault Lines documentary also looks closely at Israel’s shifting narratives.

Israel initially falsely blamed armed Palestinians for Abu Akleh’s death, but in September said there was a “high probability” an Israeli soldier “accidentally hit” the journalist but that it would not launch a criminal investigation.

Hagai El-Ad, director of Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem, which swiftly debunked the false claim by Israel that a Palestinian gunman was responsible for Abu Akleh’s death, told Fault Lines: “They’re also very used to getting away with lying about killings of Palestinians both in the public arena and in the legal arena.”

“The reason why Al Jazeera made this request is because the Israeli authorities have done nothing to investigate the case. In fact, they’ve said that they will not investigate, that there’s no suspicion of a crime,” said Dixon.

Al Jazeera Media Network calls the killing a “blatant murder” and a “heinous crime”.

“Al Jazeera reiterates its commitment to achieving justice for Shireen and to exploring all avenues to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable and brought to justice,” said the network.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

L’article Al Jazeera takes the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh to the ICC est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

The Palestinian territories are overcome with grief following the death of 51-year-old Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead in the West Bank city of Jenin on the morning of May 11.

Palestinians across the world expressed their sadness over the killing of Abu Akleh, whose funeral procession Wednesday went through Jenin, Nablus and Ramallah. A state funeral will be held today, May 12, in the Ramallah with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in attendance. She will be buried on May 13 in her hometown of Jerusalem.

Abu Akleh was shot in the head while on her way to cover the Israeli army’s raid of the Jenin camp.

She was accompanied by a group of journalists, including Al Jazeera producer Ali al-Samudi, who was shot in the back and is currently receiving treatment in hospital, journalists Shatha Hanaysha and Mujahid al-Saadi, among other photographers.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Samudi said that at 6 a.m. of May 11, the Israeli army stormed the Jenin camp and surrounded the house of Abdullah al-Hosari, who was killed during another Israeli raid in the camp on March 1.

Upon learning of the operation, he called Abu Akleh and asked her to get ready to cover the events in the camp. He went there by himself to secure a safe place for the crew, he told Al-Monitor.

Samudi added, “As soon as Shireen arrived at the site, we parked the vehicles in a safe place, put on our helmets and protective vests and walked onto a street near the camp, where there were Israeli army vehicles. We stopped at the camp entrance for a few minutes to announce our presence in the area so that the Israeli army could see us.”

The journalists with Shireen Abu Akleh when she was shot described it as among the worst experiences of their lives.

“A few minutes later, we walked 20 meters into the street. This was when the first bullet was fired at us, but no one was hurt. Then I told Shireen that they were targeting us and that we had to go back, and as soon as I turned around to return, I was hit in the back. Then Shireen started screaming ‘Ali is injured’ as I started running toward the street to get to a car to take me to the hospital,” he said.

Samudi was hit by a bullet in the back. He suffered severe bleeding that medical staff managed to control and expects to remain hospitalized for a few days.

Journalist Hanaysha described an experience that was probably the toughest in her life, as she was with Abu Akleh at the moment she was hit. Despite being so near her, she was unable to check on her because of the ongoing shooting.

“What we were exposed to in the Jenin refugee camp as journalists was direct targeting on the part of the Israeli army, considering that we were in an exposed area where army vehicles could see us. We were wearing the press uniform including protective jackets and helmets, in a quiet spot away from fighting,” Hanaysha told Al-Monitor.

Hanaysha added, “We took sniper fire. Shireen was shot dead by a bullet below her ear. Still the shooting continued, and I took refuge behind a tree trunk. They kept shooting to prevent the young men from saving us.”

Minutes after the shooting began and despite the continuing heavy fire, camp resident Sherif al-Azab managed to drag the two journalists from the scene and to a vehicle that would take them to the hospital, as seen in video captured by other camp residents.

In the video, Abu Akleh can be seen lying face down, motionless, next to Hanaysha, who was shot at each time she tried reach Abu Akleh to ascertain how badly injured she was.

The Israeli authorities initially suggested that Abu Akleh may have been shot by Palestinian gunmen and later announced a probe into the incident, asking the PA for a joint investigation.

The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem published an aerial photo of Jenin camp as well as video from the scene of the incident. The photo shows the location of Palestinian gunmen at the time. The site where Abu Akleh was killed outside the camp borders, with several buildings between the two, making the IDF’s claimed trajectory unfeasible.

The initial findings of Abu Akleh’s autopsy, which was performed on the afternoon of May 11 in the Forensic Medicine Institute of An-Najah University in Nablus, read that the reporter was hit by a bullet that “caused extensive cerebral lacerations and skull fractures. » Examiners reported in a press conference, « The weapon used was of high caliber. A distorted projectile has been seized and is currently being studied.” The round that struck Abu Akleh was determined to have been fired from an M-16 rifle, which is used by both sides in the conflict.

The final autopsy report has yet to be issued.

On the evening of May 11, the Haaretz newspaper reported on the Israeli army’s investigation, which found that during the operation the soldiers fired a few dozen bullets northward, where Abu Akleh and the press crews were standing.

Abu Akleh was part of the first generation of field correspondents for Al Jazeera. She joined the channel one year into its operation. Many Palestinians regard the slain journalist as a press icon for her 25 years of experience at Al Jazeera and her coverage of unforgettable events such as the Al-Aqsa intifada in 2000 and Operation Defensive Shield in 2002.

By Ahmad Melhem + al-monitor.com

L’article Analysis. Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s colleagues recount her killingRead est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Alors qu’elle couvrait des affrontements dans le secteur de Jénine, en Cisjordanie, Shireen Abu Akleh, journaliste phare et figure parmi les plus connues de la chaîne Al-Jazeera a été tuée par balle mercredi 11 mai. RSF dénonce cette infraction grave aux Conventions de Genève et à la résolution 2222 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies sur la protection des journalistes et exige dans les plus brefs délais une enquête internationale indépendante.

"I was able to convey the people's message and voice."

Not long before her killing by Israeli occupation forces, Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh spoke about her career and what it meant to her to report on the occupation. pic.twitter.com/mUTmXJA9cA

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 11, 2022

#AlJazeera muhabiri Shireen Abu Akleh’in İsrail askeri tarafından kafasından kurşunlanmış hali!

Zalimler için yaşasın cehennem#filistin #Palestine #cenin #ShireenAbuAkleh #Jenin
#ShireenAbuAqla pic.twitter.com/XcRiMddwKF

— Cemile Taşdemir (@tasdemir_cemile) May 11, 2022

Shireen Abu Akleh s’est effondrée sur le coup, selon des témoins. Au moment où elle a été touchée, elle portait pourtant une veste sur laquelle était inscrit le mot “Press”, ce qui l’identifiait clairement comme journaliste. Ali Samoudi, journaliste et producteur palestinien d’Al-Jazeera qui était à ses côtés, a quant à lui reçu une balle dans le dos. Il est actuellement hospitalisé. Visé lui aussi, il témoigne dans une vidéo :  “nous étions en train de filmer, ils ne nous ont pas demandé de cesser de filmer ou de nous retirer, ils ont tiré une balle qui m’a atteint et une autre qui a abattu de sang-froid Shireen“. A la suite de son décès et alors que les obsèques de la journaliste s’organisent, les forces israéliennes ont violemment perquisitionné sa maison à Jérusalem-Est.

#AlJazeera #WestBank https://t.co/4Lt8eWrF4D

— Mike Bacci (@Mikesw1234) May 11, 2022

Le corps de la journaliste a été emporté vers Naplouse pour subir une autopsie avant d’être conduit à Jérusalem, où ses funérailles pourraient être organisées. L’armée israélienne a annoncé lancer une enquête après la mort de la journaliste, Palestinienne chrétienne âgée d’une cinquantaine d’années et ayant aussi la nationalité américaine, très populaire dans la région et respectée par ses confrères pour sa grande expertise du conflit israélo-palestinien. Dans un communiqué, Al Jazeera a affirmé que Shireen Abu Akleh avait été tuée « de sang froid » et de « façon délibérée » par les forces israéliennes. 

"Ms Abu Akleh is a household name in the Arab world. Faraway but omnipresent in countless homes from Rabat to Riyadh… the victim of Israeli occupation, regardless of who or which soldier pulled the trigger."

— writes @marwanbishara for #AJOpinion ⤵️ https://t.co/q0KjaPY81v

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 11, 2022

Amnon Shefler, porte-parole de l’armée israélienne, a assuré que les militaires “ne cibleraient jamais volontairement des non-combattants” et le Premier ministre israélien Naftali Bennett a affirmé qu« il semble probable que des Palestiniens armés soient responsables de la mort malheureuse de la journaliste ».

Plusieurs témoins, dont un photographe de l’AFP, ont démenti avoir vu des soldats palestiniens à l’endroit où la journaliste a été assassinée. De son côté, le président de l’autorité palestinienne Mahmoud Abbas a accusé le gouvernement israélien d’être “entièrement responsable” du décès de Shireen Abu Akleh.

“It’s extremely rare that Israeli soldiers… are ever held accountable for their actions.”

Israeli occupation forces have killed veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank. She was shot while covering Israeli raids on the Jenin refugee camp ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/u2Tp2aKPTv

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 11, 2022

“ RSF ne se satisfait pas de la proposition du ministre israélien des affaires étrangères Yaïr Lapid que son pays participe à une enquête conjointe sur les circonstances de la mort de la journaliste, a déclaré Christophe Deloire, Secrétaire général de RSF. Une enquête internationale indépendante doit être lancée au plus vite.”

Ce ciblage de journalistes palestiniens par l’armée israélienne qui menait “une opération anti-terroriste” à Jénine est le dernier en date d’une longue série inquiétante. Le 25 avril 2018, le journaliste palestinien Ahmed Abu Hussein de Radio Sawt al Shabab succombait à ses blessures. Quant à Yasser Murtaja, journaliste qui avait fondé une agence indépendante Ain Media, une balle l’avait tué sur le coup. Ces deux journalistes couvraient la “marche du retour”, un mouvement de protestation civile lancé le 30 mars 2018 dans la bande de Gaza pour dénoncer le blocus israélien et réclamer le “droit au retour” des réfugiés palestiniens. 

Depuis 2018, RSF a recensé plus de 140 journalistes victimes de violations de la part des forces de l’ordre israéliennes et depuis 2000, au moins 30 journalistes assassinés.

Israël et la Palestine occupent respectivement la 86e et la 170e place au Classement mondial de la liberté de la presse établi par RSF en 2022. 

World Opinions + RSF

L’article Israël-Palestine : RSF exige une enquête indépendante sur la mort brutale de la journaliste d’Al-Jazeera Shireen Abu Akleh en Cisjordanie est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.