After an intricate analysis made and published by CNN leaving no shred of doubt about the death of American-Palestinian journalist Sheerin Akela was murdered by an Israeli sniper in an act of deliberate persecution and under no state of combat as she was covering an Israeli trade on Jenin refugee camp. the report revealed that the initial claims the Israeli officials initially spewed were untrue.
Akela’s death ignited local and international state of rage, especially after potage of assault on her caskets pallbearer went viral. a handful of lawmakers and potions along with 100+ celebs including house held names demanded accountability and justice for the slain reporter.
After the momentum on Shireen’s case died down without any real effective actions to ensure justice for her family and loved ones, Two senior US senators have called on the Biden administration to conduct “a full and transparent investigation” into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney, along with his Democratic colleague Senator Jon Ossoff, called on the State Department on Monday to ensure that “justice is served”, in a letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The killing of a US citizen and of a journalist engaged in the work of reporting in a conflict zone is unacceptable. All over the world, journalists pursue truth and accountability at great personal risk,” the letter said.
“Press freedom is a core American value, and we cannot accept impunity when journalists are killed in the line of duty. We insist that the Administration ensure a full and transparent investigation is completed and that justice is served for Ms. Akleh’s death.”
Abu Akleh, 51, was shot dead by Israeli forces on 11 May near the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank while covering an Israeli raid. Her colleague Ali al-Samoudi was also shot and injured.
Eyewitnesses, including MEE correspondent Shatha Hanaysha, said Abu Akleh was targeted by an Israeli sniper.
The bullet that killed Abu Akleh is in the possession of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has refused a joint probe with the Israelis, saying Israel could not be trusted to investigate the conduct of its military.
Rights groups have also said this, saying Israel has a poor record of investigating the conduct of its forces in relation to Palestinian deaths.
The State Department did not respond to a request from Middle East Eye for comment on the letter or whether the Biden administration would launch an investigation into the killing of a US citizen.
Monday’s letter comes just days after a bipartisan group of US lawmakers called for an independent investigation into Abu Akleh’s killing. The letter was signed by 24 members of the House – 14 Democrats and 10 Republicans.
That letter was met with criticism from Palestinians and some Jewish groups, saying that it follows Israeli government viewpoints and calls the Palestinian Authority “obstinate” for not complying with Israel on an investigation.
Al Jazeera has referred the case to the International Criminal Court in the Hague and vowed to bring the killers to justice through all international legal platforms.
Middle east eye has contributed to this article
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