One year after veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli forces, nobody has been brought to justice for her murder.
The Palestinian American journalist – beloved by viewers across the Middle East and the world – was killed by an Israeli sniper on May 11, 2022, while covering an Israeli raid in the Jenin refugee camp.
Shireen joined Al Jazeera in 1997 as a field journalist, one of a few female Palestinian journalists at the time, and her career has blazed a trail for many young women aspiring to be journalists.
Demands for justice for Shireen’s killing have so far remained unanswered.
In December, Al Jazeera Media Network asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate but no action has been taken.
The network conducted a six-month investigation to gather evidence for the request, which included witness accounts and video footage, among other material.
The United States has had a shifting position on the killing of one of its citizens, with State Department spokesman Ned Price telling reporters at the time: “We oppose it in this case … We maintain our longstanding objections to the ICC’s investigation into the Palestinian situation.”
The US position has been that the killing of Shireen was by Israeli gunfire and that it has “no reason to believe that this was intentional”. But this was not the result of an investigation by Washington, which her family has long called for, but rather a “summation” of Israeli and Palestinian investigations by the US security coordinator.
The network said it will continue to “ensure her killers are held accountable, including through the International Criminal Court in The Hague”, in a statement on Thursday.
“The Network renews its appeal to international human rights and press freedom organizations to continue to support Shireen’s case and help end impunity for crimes against journalists,” the statement said.
Several memorial services are taking place on Thursday to honour her unique style of journalism and mark the anniversary of her murder.
In Doha, Qatar, Al Jazeera staff attended a memorial event where her legacy as a reporter with the 24-hour Arabic news channel was commemorated.
In the occupied West Bank, a foundation stone will be laid for a museum dedicated to her in Ramallah.
Bir Zeit University will soon announce three winners of a media award named after Shireen.
On Tuesday, hundreds attended a cultural memorial organised by the Popular Art Center (PAC), a Ramallah-based Palestinian cultural organisation.
On Sunday, hundreds of Shireen’s friends and family gathered in Beit Hanina, occupied East Jerusalem, for a memorial mass in her honour.
