TV network Al Jazeera on Tuesday submitted the case of its slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to the International Criminal Court, saying she was killed by Israeli forces.
The Qatar-based channel said in a statement it had ‘unearthed new evidence’ on the death of the Palestinian-American, shot while covering an Israel army raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on May 11.
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.
The ICC is under no obligation to consider cases submitted by individuals or groups.
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.
