“Justice will be served when the Israeli soldier who shot Shireen is held accountable and incarcerated”, said Lina Abu Akleh, his niece currently in France, on franceinfo on Wednesday October 5. She will be present in Bayeux for the grand prize of war correspondents where a tribute will be paid to Shireen Abu Akley, but also to the French journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff, who died in Ukraine.
franceinfo: What memories do you have of Shireen Abu Akleh your aunt?
Lina Abu Akleh : There are very many memories that I would like to share about my aunt with whom I spent special moments on vacation in particular. The memory I have of her is her presence in my life, hearing her voice on television. There are moments that I will always remember, those that we spent together at Christmas in particular. She will be absent this year, I tell myself that it will be a particularly hard time.
Is it a voice that still resonates today even after his death?
Yes of course, especially since today we still talk a lot about her. I went to many award ceremonies, in the Arab world, in the United States or even in France for the Bayeux prize. For me it’s a kind of legacy of his work that I perpetuate, it’s a way of celebrating his professionalism. Shireen’s voice is still heard because it is very strong, not just in Palestine and the Arab world but all over the world. His voice has upset the world and the brutal way she was killed caused shock.
It was in Jenin on May 11 that she died. The Israeli authorities in their official version speak of shots probably coming from an Israeli soldier but accidental. What do you think of this release?
The conclusion is that it was an Israeli soldier who shot Shireen and killed her. We have many organizations, news organizations, the New York Times, the Washington Post, human rights organizations, all saying that Shireen was shot by an Israeli soldier and that it was intentional, a deliberate shooting. She wore a vest with the word ‘Press’ written clearly across her chest and back. She and her colleague identified themselves to the Israeli armed forces. Shireen was shot, her colleague was injured. There were 16 shots that were fired in the upper body. This isn’t the first time Shireen has been targeted. These are intentional shots aimed at killing.
When do you think justice will be served?
Justice will be served when the Israeli soldier who shot Shireen is held accountable and incarcerated, when the chain of command is held accountable because there are orders that were given. The Israeli army is the system that continues to perpetrate this kind of violence. The United States must hold the Israeli government accountable because Shireen was also American.
The State Department is also talking about an accidental shooting?
Foreign Affairs officials in the United States have made disappointing, shameful remarks. They followed the Israeli narrative to whitewash this crime, sweep it under the rug. We will continue to pressure the Israeli administration to investigate and hold the Israeli government accountable.
During the funeral of Shireen Abu Akley, there was a violent intervention by the Israeli police. Does it remain a painful memory?
Of course, what happened at the funeral was traumatic and until today, I suffer from this experience. This funeral was the subject of a barbaric attack. The Israeli police attacked the people who were there, our family. They had truncheons, weapons. The hospital where it was held is French property and so far no action has been taken by the French government to point to Israeli responsibilities. The glass that surrounded Shireen’s coffin was shattered, those pieces of glass I feel like they’ve pierced me. Shireen should be able to rest in peace. She was not killed once, but she was killed twice, in Jenin and then in Jerusalem during the funeral.