Al Jazeera Media Network will today submit the case of Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing by Israeli occupation forces to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Network announced in a statement.
The submission comes six months after the brutal killing of Shireen Abu Akleh during which time 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.
Al Jazeera has highlighted in its submission to the ICC Prosecutor that the new witness evidence and video footage clearly show that Shireen and her colleagues were directly fired at by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
“The claim by the Israeli authorities that Shireen was killed by mistake in an exchange of fire is completely unfounded,” Al Jazeera said.
“The evidence presented to the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) confirms, without any doubt, that there was no firing in the area where Shireen was, other than the IOF shooting directly at her.”
The journalists were in full view of the IOF as they walked as a group slowly down the road with their distinctive media vests, and there were no other persons in the road, the Network added.
The IOF inquiry that found there was no suspicion of any crime being committed is “entirely undermined by the available evidence which has now been provided to the OTP.”
“The evidence shows that this deliberate killing was part of a wider campaign to target and silence Al Jazeera.”
The Network said it also welcomes and acknowledges the “continuous effort and support of the international community and human rights organizations in calling for the perpetrators of this heinous crime to be held accountable.”
After the submission of the case to the ICC, Al Jazeera and its legal team will be joined at a press conference to be held in The Hague by members of Shireen’s family and leading journalists and human rights experts.
Al Jazeera reiterated its “commitment to achieving justice for Shireen and to exploring all avenues to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable and brought to justice.”
Despite wearing a protective helmet and blue bulletproof vest clearly marked as “PRESS,” the 51-year-old veteran journalist was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the head while she was covering an Israeli military raid into the Jenin refugee camp on May 11, sparking international outrage and calls for accountability for attacks on journalists.
