Al Jazeera files lawsuit with the ICC over the murder of a journalist

The Al Jazeera television network submitted the case of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to the International Criminal Court on Tuesday, saying she was killed by Israeli forces.

The Qatar-based channel said it had “unearthed new evidence” about the death of the Palestinian-American, shot while covering an Israeli army raid on Jenin in the occupied West Bank on May 11.

Any person or group can file a complaint with the ICC prosecutor for investigation, but the Hague-based court is not required to take up such cases.

Al Jazeera said its presentation highlighted “new witness evidence and video footage (which) clearly show that the Israeli Occupation Forces fired directly at Shireen and her colleagues.”

“The Israeli authorities’ claim that Shireen was mistakenly killed in an exchange of fire is completely unfounded,” the channel said.

An AFP journalist saw a lawyer representing the Al Jazeera case enter the ICC headquarters to deliver his submission.

Last year, the ICC launched an investigation into war crimes in the Palestinian territories, but Israel is not an ICC member and disputes the court’s jurisdiction.

The Israeli army admitted on September 5 that one of its soldiers probably shot Abu Akleh after mistaking her for a militant.

Israel said it would not cooperate with any external investigation into Abu Akleh’s death.

“No one will investigate IDF (Israeli military) soldiers and no one will preach to us about morality in war, certainly not Al Jazeera,” Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement.

– ‘Complete cover-up’ –

The veteran reporter, who was a Christian, was wearing a bulletproof vest marked “Press” and a helmet when she was shot in the head in the Jenin refugee camp, a historic flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Her niece, Lina Abu Akleh, urged the ICC to investigate the journalist’s death.

“The evidence is overwhelmingly clear, we expect the ICC to take action,” he told a news conference in The Hague, adding that they had requested a meeting with prosecutor Karim Khan.

“My family still doesn’t know who fired that deadly bullet and who was in the chain of command that killed my aunt.”

Lawyer Rodney Dixon said Israel had “completely covered up” Abu Akleh’s death.

It alleged that his assassination was part of a “systematic and widespread campaign” against Al Jazeera by Israel that also included the bombing of a Gaza building housing Al Jazeera’s office last year.

“There is a clear attempt to shut down Al Jazeera and silence it.” Dixon said at the press conference.

“We are hopeful that there will now be justice for Shireen.”

Dixon said they had not yet had a formal meeting with the prosecutor’s office, but had turned over evidence, including some on memory cards, to the ICC’s evidence unit.

After receiving complaints from individuals or groups, the ICC prosecutor independently decides which cases to present to the judges of the court.

Judges decide whether to allow a preliminary investigation by the prosecutor, which can then be followed by a formal investigation and, if warranted, charges.

In most cases, such complaints do not lead to investigations, according to the ICC.