The news network said the killing of Palestinian-America journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May was part of a wider attack on journalists in Palestine.
Mourners carry Shireen Abu Akleh’s body, wrapped in a Palestinian flag and a blue press jacket. (alwatan_live, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Following an investigation that Al Jazeera said uncovered new evidence regarding the fatal shooting of Palestinian-America journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May, the international news network said Tuesday that it has filed a lawsuit against Israeli military forces at the International Criminal Court.
“Al Jazeera‘s legal team has conducted a full and detailed investigation into the case and unearthed new evidence based on several eyewitness accounts, the examination of multiple items of video footage, and forensic evidence pertaining to the case,” said the network in a statement.
The investigation reportedly showed that Abu Akleh and her colleagues “were directly fired at by the Israeli occupation forces” when they were covering a raid by the forces in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on May 11.
“The claim by the Israeli authorities that Shireen was killed by mistake in an exchange of fire is completely unfounded,” said Al Jazeera.
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Rodney Dixon, a lawyer for the network, told reporters that the ICC should identify the individuals responsible for Abu Akleh’s killing.
“The rulings of the International Criminal Court stipulate that those responsible be investigated and held accountable,” said Dixon. “Otherwise, they bear the same responsibility as if they were the ones who opened fire.”
ICC in The Hague, Netherlands. (Hypergio, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
The legal filing comes weeks after Israeli officials said they would not cooperate with an F.B.I. investigation into the death of Abu Akleh, who was wearing a vest and helmet identifying her as a member of the press when she was shot in the head.
Israel has said it conducted an investigation which found the origin of the bullet that killed the veteran Al Jazeera journalist could not be determined because it was too damaged, suggesting that Palestinian forces could have fired the bullet.
Other investigations — including a U.S.-led forensic and ballistic probe and one by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights — found that Israeli forces may have unintentionally fired the weapon that killed Abu Akleh, while an independent investigation by Forensic Architecture in the U.K. and the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq concluded that Israel Defense Forces had intentionally killed the journalist.
Dixon said the ICC should consider the lawsuit “in the context of a wider attack on Al Jazeera, and journalists in Palestine,” referring to the bombing of a building that housed Associated Press and Al Jazeera offices in May 2021.
“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,” said Dixon.
Julia Conley is a staff writer for Common Dreams.
This article is from Common Dreams.
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“the international news network said Tuesday,” (12.6.22), “that it has filed a lawsuit against Israeli military forces at the International Criminal Court.”
Hear! Hear! AL JAZEERA, “MAY THE FORCE BE W/YOU!!!” …imo, inphkndeed, “Peace through Justice’ via the UN’s International Court of Justice in “Den Haag” the Hague, may be a last resort b/c it’s the “only” resource “We, the People,” have when our government refuses to seek justice for victims of crimes like, murder, torture, assassinations.
“The state calls its own violence law, but that of an individual, crime.” Basically, the victims have been used, abused, and abandoned by their own government. “The hour has come” to foster peace through justice, rather than through war and conflict.” Inphkndeed, Book “Em!!!”
No one is delusional. Everybody, knows, 1) POTUS’ commitment to Israel is “Engraved in the Rock;” 2) To date, 12.9.22, the WH & CONGRESS, have NOT made right a big, fat f/wrong, JOINED the ICC., IN EFFECT:
– We will NOT cooperate with the ICC.
– We will provide NO assistance to the ICC.
– We will NOT join the ICC.
– We will let the ICC die on its own.”
“AFTER ALL, for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us.” JOHN F/BOLTON hxxps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/9/10/full-text-of-john-boltons-speech-to-the-federalist-society
Consequently, “NOTHIN’S gonna STOP US; but, DIVINE INTERVENTION.” The Universe’s ask, of POTUS,
“So, Dear Joey Robinette Biden,
The next time you kneel for confession, ask the good Lord, that Rock of Ages, to engrave justice, human rights, decency, and peace, in your hardened mind and callous heart. And Jesus wept.” (Jeffrey St. Clair)
Onward & upwards w/indictments, prosecution, incarceration of the killers in high places for the killing, of SHIREEN ABU AKLEH, (R.I.P.), followed by the desecration of her funeral. “Some human ain’t f/human.”
A typical barbaric act from genocidal maniacs
A head shot at 176 yards was not intentional, entirely an
accident, Israeli government says. Have they never heard of aiming a firearm and the thought processes that go into it?
The suit is a matter of record, without it there will be no record and the whole affair will have been forgotten. The crimes of the Israelis in Palestine has been given a pass, not only because of the slavish devotion of the US government, but the existence of what the world has acknowledged as the Genocide. What this does is elevate Israelis to a level of unacountability. What will happen is not even debatable–the case will go no where.
And guess what…afraid to stand up to israel and risk being accused of antiSemitism…the Western world will just turn blind eyes and nothing will happen. And israel knows this full well.
I think its no use to ask ICC to investigate anything that is against the US (and its vassals) interest. This organisation has always been biased and today it is just a joke.
The ICC may be a joke, but I’m not laughing. The Americans state that they will not be bound by the ICC because to do so would imperil our own war criminals who happen to occupy positions of power. In absence of the ICC, what? US power has made a mockery of International justice.
Spot On!!! Robert Sinuhe.
No offense, Vesa; but, Robert’s GOT This!..Robert succinctly summed up the $hituation, “In absence of the ICC, what?”