Her assassination, while wearing a clearly marked vest and helmet, was followed by widespread calls for a thorough and independent investigation by politicians and human rights groups. Thirty days later, the impetus for an international homicide investigation is moving forward, albeit slowly. On May 26, Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network announced that it had commissioned a legal team to refer Abu Akleh’s case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. In a statement, Al Jazeera said it would “take every step to bring Shireen to justice and ensure that those responsible for her murder are brought to justice and held accountable on all international justice platforms and legal platforms and courts.” . Al Jazeera’s legal coalition is currently preparing a case file to be submitted to ICC Attorney General Karim Khan. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has also formally requested the ICC to investigate Abu Akleh’s death. Separately from the ICC, calls for an immediate, independent inquiry continue, in particular as any ICC investigation will take time to complete.
Blinken advocated an “independent” investigation
Officials in the United States, however, have rejected calls for foreign intervention, initially claiming that Israel “has the means and capacity” to conduct its own investigation. US President Joe Biden also recently insisted that Israel should be the place to lead the investigation. On June 8, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, speaking at an event in Los Angeles, slightly deviated and said he supported an “independent” investigation into the assassination. Asked by a reporter why he had “absolutely no impact” on Israel over the assassination of Abu Akleh, Blinken said: “We are looking for an independent, credible investigation. When this research is done, we will follow the facts, wherever they lead. “It’s as simple as that.” Blinken claimed that the facts of the case “have not yet been established”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the killings of Al Jazeera Shireen journalist Abu Akleh “have not been proven.” Shireen was shot by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/YaR1PuZg6r – Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 8, 2022 This despite numerous witness testimonies and investigations by the media and rights groups that concluded that Abu Akleh had been killed by Israeli forces. Al Jazeera Media Network said shortly after the incident last month that the journalist had been “cold-bloodedly killed” by Israeli forces.
Israel should not launch a criminal investigation
Witnesses, colleagues and other journalists present at the scene said it was an Israeli bullet that killed her and that there was no other source of fire at the scene, contrary to initial claims by Israeli officials that she could have been killed by Palestinian gunmen. Israel has changed its history of the incident several times, from denying the allegations, claiming responsibility for the killing of Palestinian fighters to stray fire, to admitting that an Israeli soldier could have accidentally shot Abu Akleh. The Israeli military prosecutor initially called on the army to conduct an in-depth investigation, before Israeli media reported that the army had no plans to launch a criminal investigation. The PA concluded its investigation on May 26, saying it had shown that Israeli forces had deliberately shot the veteran journalist. Officials said an autopsy and forensic examination conducted in Nablus after Abu Akleh’s death showed that he had been shot in the back, indicating that he was trying to leave as Israeli forces continued firing on the group of journalists. The Palestinians refused to hand over the bullet that killed Abu Akleh to Israel, saying that the Israelis had shown that they could not trust them. During the attack, another Al Jazeera journalist, Ali al-Samoudi, was also wounded in the back. He has since recovered. The Palestinians continued to mourn Abu Akleh, a well-known and respected air correspondent who became famous two decades ago, during the second Intifada, or uprising, in 2000. Abu Akleh joined Al Jazeera a year after its release in 1997. It captured the harsh reality of life under Israeli military occupation for viewers around the Arab world. On the day of her funeral, Israeli forces stormed the procession and began beating the mourners, causing the veterans to almost throw her coffin, causing worldwide condemnation.
