News briefing
Translated and edited by: Committee for Justice
Geneva: May 15, 2022
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, called for a prompt and transparent investigation into the Israeli attack on the funeral of veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jerusalem, as the United Nations calls for an investigation into her murder.
Investigations into all violent incidents
“There must be accountability for the terrible killing not just of Shireen Abu Akleh but for all the killings and serious injuries in the occupied Palestinian territory,” Bachelet said.
The High Commissioner added that international law requires a prompt, thorough, transparent, independent and impartial investigation into all uses of force that result in death or injury.
Calls for probe
UN experts have condemned the killing of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank, while also calling for a prompt, transparent, thorough and independent investigation into her death.
The experts said that the killing of Abu Akleh comes within the framework of the continuing high rate of attacks on media professionals, especially Palestinian journalists. More than 40 Palestinian journalists have reportedly been killed since 2000, hundreds have been injured or violently targeted, and Palestinian women journalists are regularly subjected to violence in the course of their work solely for being female journalists.
The experts demanded a prompt, independent, impartial, effective, thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh, in full accordance with the revised UN Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extrajudicial, Arbitrary and Summary Executions, while urging the Israeli and Palestinian authorities and other stakeholders to cooperate with such an investigation.
The experts also stressed the need for the authorities to comply with the obligation not to harm journalists and to protect them from harm under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
The experts stressed that the lack of accountability gives carte blanche to the continuation of the chain of extrajudicial executions, and that the safety of journalists is essential to ensuring freedom of expression and freedom of the media.
