Journalists and participants observe a minute silence in honour of Shireen Abu Akleh during a commemorate event yesterday.
Al Jazeera Media Network called for justice to be served and more protection of journalists as the news network yesterday marked the first anniversary of the tragic killing of Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces while she was reporting from Jenin in Palestine.
Shireen, known as ‘the voice of Palestinians’, was targeted despite clearly identifying as a member of the press with her vest and helmet.
“On the one-year anniversary of Shireen’s killing, the Network pays tribute to her memory and contribution to journalism through an International Day of Action. Her colleagues, along with other journalists and human rights activists, held vigils and solidarity stands in key capitals,” Al Jazeera said in a statement.
During a panel conversation at its headquarters in Doha yesterday, which included Al Jazeera Director General Dr. Moustafa Souag, Director of News Asef Hamidi, Director of Al Jazeera Public Liberties and Human Rights Centre, Sami Al Haj, and Managing Director of AJ+, Dima Khatib, the Network lamented the lack of accountability to call the perpetrators to justice. Israel initially denied its forces were behind her shooting but later admitted its soldiers “accidentally” hit her but refused to launch a criminal investigation.
“We will continue to work in pursuit of the truth. We will also do the maximum to end the violation of freedom of the press,” Al Jazeera Director General Mostefa Souag said at the commemoration event, which around 216 people attended.
“The crimes perpetrated against us will not dent our resolve. It is difficult to understand why a journalist is killed. It is a profession of hardship, but Al Jazeera will remain a beacon for truth,” Souag added.
Shireen’s family and colleagues, including Al Jazeera Palestine Bureau Chief Walid Omari, joined the event virtually. Al Jazeera Media said it remains committed to its pledge to Shireen’s family and colleagues to seek justice for Shireen by pursuing all possible avenues to ensure her killers are held accountable, including through the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
"After one year, I feel we’re still grieving, and we’re still in shock. I still cannot accept that this happened. This should not have happened; one year on, there is no justice. One year on, we miss Shireen very much,” Dima Khatib, who joined the network same time as Shireen, told The Peninsula.
“I think we feel the vacuum that Shireen left behind more and more every day, especially with all the events happening in Palestine. She’s not on screen, but her legacy is so powerful. I feel she is looking down at us and thinking, that’s the legacy I wanted for me,” Khatib added.
Meanwhile, in Ramallah, the foundation stone for the Shireen Abu Akleh Museum has been laid and is scheduled to open in 2025. Before her killing, the Palestine-American journalist had worked for the Network for 25 years.
