Press release
Geneva – August 19, 2024
UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Khan, has condemned the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul and photographer Rami Al-Rifi in Gaza on August 1, 2024.
– Deliberate Targeting:
Khan expressed outrage over what she described as the “deliberate targeting” of journalists by Israeli forces, highlighting the already high number of journalists and media workers who have been killed in the ongoing conflict.
She criticized Israel’s accusation that Al-Ghoul was an operative for Hamas without providing substantial evidence, labeling such actions as violations of international humanitarian law.
– Possible War Crime:
Khan emphasized that journalists are protected as civilians under international law and that their deliberate targeting constitutes a war crime. According to Khan, journalists only lose this protection if they actively participate in hostilities, which Israel has not proven in this case.
The Special Rapporteur also expressed deep concern over the continued attacks on Al Jazeera, including the killing of its journalists, the banning of the channel in Israel, and the smear campaign against its broadcaster, condemning these actions as assaults on press freedom and blatant disregard for human rights and international humanitarian law.
Khan highlighted the lack of transparent investigations into the killings of journalists in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling on Israeli authorities to conduct thorough and independent investigations. She also urged the International Criminal Court to prosecute these killings as war crimes. Additionally, Khan stressed the urgent need for the international community to consider mechanisms for investigating crimes against journalists in Gaza.
