Al Jazeera sues Israel before the ICC for the death of journalist Shirin abu Aklé

Network says evidence presented "totally undermines" Israeli investigation

MADRID, 6 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Qatari television channel Al Jazeera has filed a complaint against Israel on Tuesday before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the death in May of the Palestinian-American journalist Shirin abu Aklé after being shot in the head during an operation by the Israeli security forces in the West Bank city of Jenin.

Al Jazeera has confirmed in a statement that "it will send the case of the death of Shirin abu Aklé at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces to the ICC in The Hague", before indicating that the decision "comes six months after the brutal murder of Shirin abu Aklé".

Thus, he stressed that during this period "the Al Jazeera legal team has carried out a full and detailed investigation into the case and has found new evidence based on multiple witness statements, the examination of multiple video cuts and forensic evidence. relating to the case".

The chain has stated that in its claim before the CFI Prosecutor's Office that "new evidence provided by witnesses and recordings clearly show that Shirin and her colleagues were the target of direct shots by the Israeli occupation forces."

"The claim by the Israeli authorities that Shirin was mistakenly killed in an exchange of fire is totally unfounded. The evidence presented to the prosecutor's office confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was no shooting in the area where she was Shirin, regardless of the firing of the Israeli occupation forces against her," he explained.

In this sense, it has emphasized that "the journalists were perfectly visible to the Israeli occupation forces as they walked slowly and in a group on a road with their identifications." "There were no other people on the road," she pointed out.

"The investigation by the Israeli occupation forces, which determined that there was no suspicion that a crime had been committed, is totally undermined by the available evidence, which has now been handed over to the ICC prosecutor's office," he said.

The Qatari chain has indicated that "the evidence shows that this deliberate assassination was part of a broader campaign to act against Al Jazeera and silence it", while applauding "the constant efforts and support of the international community and organizations of Human Rights when calling for those responsible for this heinous crime to be held accountable".

"Al Jazeera reiterates its commitment to achieving justice for Shirin and exploring all avenues to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and brought to justice," he said, while revealing that he will hold a press conference with his legal team and relatives of Abu Aklé to expose the demand.

The United States announced in November its decision to investigate what happened, which was described by the journalist's family as "an important step towards accountability", although the Government of Israel said that the investigation is a "mistake" and stress that the Israeli authorities refuse to cooperate with the investigations.

The journalist was shot dead on May 11 during an Israeli military operation in Jenin, while she was working for the Qatari television channel Al Jazeera. The reporter herself was wearing a helmet and a vest that identified her as a journalist.

For its part, the conclusions of the independent investigation carried out by the United Nations Office for Human Rights into the death of the journalist coincide with the evaluation carried out by the Palestinian authorities and which point to the Israeli forces as responsible for the death of the reporter.