Top Turkey court upholds jail for opposition figure


The top court on Thursday approved Kaftancioglu's (C) conviction on three counts with a prison term of four years, 11 months and 20 days

 (AFP/BULENT KILIC) (BULENT KILIC)

Fulya OZERKAN
Thu, May 12, 2022, 

Turkey's supreme court of appeals on Thursday upheld a prison sentence for the head of the Istanbul branch of the country's main opposition party, a party official told AFP, in a move seen as another crackdown on opponents ahead of next year's presidential election.

In 2019, Canan Kaftancioglu, 50, of the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), was sentenced to nearly 10 years in jail on a range of charges including "terrorist propaganda" and insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The charges related mostly to tweets Kaftancioglu posted between 2012 and 2017. She had been free pending the appeals.

The top court on Thursday approved her conviction on three counts with a prison term of four years, 11 months and 20 days.

It was not immediately clear if the ruling means Kaftancioglu will be jailed right away.

The CHP is the second largest party in the Turkish parliament, holding 135 seats.

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu called on his lawmakers to head to the party's Istanbul headquarters.

"All lawmakers of our party, immediately set off for our Istanbul provincial headquarters," he tweeted right after the ruling.

Kaftancioglu, a doctor by profession, played a key role in the shock victory of the CHP's Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in 2019 -- the first time Erdogan's party had lost power in Turkey's biggest city for 25 years.

Kaftancioglu "is my comrade with whom we are striding together to change Istanbul," Imamoglu tweeted.

"I find this decision political and condemn it. I stand by our chairwoman."

-'Revenge'-

Rights groups regularly accuse Erdogan of using the judiciary as a political tool, particularly after thousands of judges were purged in the wake of an attempted coup in 2016.

Erdogan railed against Kaftancioglu after she was appointed to the Istanbul chair in 2016.

"Erdogan doubles down on suppression as (he) loses ground amid growing economic pressure in the country," Seren Selvin Korkmaz of Istanbul-based think tank IstanPol Institute commented.

"#Kaftancioglu is a rising figure within the #CHP and frequent government target ... The (ruling AKP party) tries to take revenge of losing Istanbul by sending her to prison."

Kaftancioglu vowed not to give in when she was convicted in 2019.

"They think they can scare us but we will continue to speak," she said back then.

Among the tweets used by the prosecution against Kaftancioglu was one in which she criticised the death of a 14-year-old boy hit by a tear gas grenade during the mass "Gezi Park" protests of 2013.

The latest ruling comes on the heels of a life sentence handed by an Istanbul court to another Erdogan critic and activist, Osman Kavala, last month.

A leading figure in Turkey's civil society, the 64-year-old Kavala was accused of attempting to topple Erdogan's government by financing the 2013 protests.

fo/gw

Israel approves over 4,000 new settler homes: Rights group

AP , Thursday 12 May 2022

Israel advanced plans for the construction of more than 4,000 settler homes in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, a rights group said, a day after the military demolished homes in an area where hundreds of Palestinians face the threat of expulsion.

ZIONIST APARTHEID 

A Palestinian home sits in a valley, located next to the east Jerusalem Israeli settlement of Pisgat Ze ev, 

Thursday, May 12, 2022. AP

It was a jolting illustration of Israel's policies in the territory it has occupied for nearly 55 years. Critics, including three major human rights groups, say those policies amount to apartheid, a charge Israel rejects as an attack on its very legitimacy.

Hagit Ofran, an expert at the anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now, told The Associated Press that a military planning body approved 4,427 housing units at a meeting on Thursday that she attended. ``The state of Israel took another stumble toward the abyss and further deepened the occupation,'' she tweeted.

Spokespeople for the Israeli government and the military body in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank did not respond to requests for comment.

It's the biggest advancement of settlement projects since the Biden administration took office. The White House opposes settlement construction and views it as an obstacle to any eventual peace agreement with the Palestinians.

There was no immediate comment from the administration on Thursday's decision. But last week, when the first reports emerged of the impending settlement approval, State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter reiterated that the U.S. ``strongly'' opposes settlement expansion.

Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal and supports a two-state solution to the conflict. But neither the United States nor other world powers have given Israel _ the stronger party _ any incentive to accede to such an arrangement. Israel says Palestinian leaders have rejected proposals by previous governments that would have given them a state.

Israel approved some 3,000 settler homes in October, brushing aside a rebuke from the U.S., its closest ally. Peace talks with the Palestinians broke down more than a decade ago, in part because of Israel's continuing construction on lands the Palestinians want for a future state.

On Wednesday, Israeli troops demolished at least 18 buildings and structures in the West Bank following a Supreme Court decision that would force at least 1,000 Palestinians out of an area Israel designated as a firing zone in the early 1980s.

B'Tselem, another Israeli rights group, said 12 residential buildings were among the structures that were demolished, in villages in the arid hills south of the West Bank city of Hebron.

Residents of the Masafer Yatta say they have been living in the region, herding animals and practicing traditional desert agriculture for decades, long before Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 war. The Supreme Court sided with the military, which says there were no permanent structures in the area before it was designated a training zone.

``What's happening now is ethnic cleansing,`` Sami Huraini, an activist and a resident of the area, told the AP. ``They are trying to expel the people from this land, saying they never lived here permanently, which is a lie.''

He said residents of the area where the demolitions were carried out are determined to remain there. ``The people are staying on their land and have already started to rebuild,`` he said.

Israeli occupation army declined to comment on the demolitions.

Neighboring Jordan, which made peace with Israel in 1994, condemned both the settlement expansion and the forced displacement of Palestinians, calling it a ``a flagrant violation of international law.''

Israel has built more than 130 settlements across the West Bank that today are home to nearly 500,000 settlers, who have Israeli citizenship. Nearly 3 million Palestinians live in the territory under open-ended Israeli military rule. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule over parts of the West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters.

The Palestinians want the West Bank to form the main part of a future state, along with east Jerusalem and Gaza, all territories seized by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally, and Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza after the Palestinian militant group Hamas seized power there in 2007.

The Palestinians view the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem as a major obstacle to any future peace deal because they reduce and divide up the land on which such a state would be established.

‘The Lido is finished’: Famed Paris cabaret set for final curtain amid mass lay-offs

Issued on: 12/05/2022 – 

High-kicking showgirls and nightly cabaret shows at the famed Parisian Lido club on the Champs-Elysees are set to be a thing of the past after the venue’s new owner confirmed mass lay-offs on Thursday.

Created in the aftermath of World War II, the Lido has drawn fans for more than seven decades with its racy dance routines featuring towering women in feathers, high heels and little else.

But though it has sought to modernise its shows and adapt to the times, the venue has been losing money for years and changed hands at the end of 2021.

The new owner, French hotels giant Accor, told staff on Thursday it would lay off 157 of 184 employees, including its “Bluebell girls” troupe of dancers, according to several sources who spoke to AFP.

“The Lido is finished,” one trade union representative said on condition of anonymity, adding Accor intended to turn the prime real estate into a venue for other musical events.

“All the artistic staff, meaning around 60 people, will disappear,” the source added.

>> Read more: Montmartre: Can Paris’s art and cabaret district survive Covid-19?

Cabaret dancing first appeared during France’s “Belle Epoque” at the end of the 19th century, when the French capital was a hotbed of artistic creation.

The Moulin Rouge remains the best-known show in the city and is still going strong, thanks largely to the publicity from the 2001 film of the same name by Baz Luhrmann.

Prices for a night at the Lido start at 145 euros per person ($150), with the club capable of welcoming 2,000 people per evening over two sittings.

Usually open every day of the year, it was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic as tourism and international travel ground to a halt, keeping its mostly foreign clientele away.

Changes to animal welfare laws also meant it could no longer feature exotic animals, while changing attitudes towards women and nudity have also led its dancing and decor to be seen as increasingly outdated.

(AFP)

OVER HALF  THE DEATHS ARE TRUMP'S FAULT

US doctors reflect on exhaustion, trauma of one million Covid deaths


Jospeh Varon recalls nurses crying as they faced never-ending ICU admissions, beds in hallways, one intubation after another 

(AFP/Go Nakamura)

Issam Ahmed and Lucie Aubourg
Thu, May 12, 2022

Joseph Varon -- who is chief of intensive care at United Memorial, a small hospital that mainly treats minority patients in Houston -- made headlines when a photo of him hugging an elderly Covid patient during Thanksgiving in 2020 went viral.

While that man went on to recover, it was those that did not make it that haunt Varon.

"As a doctor, just in the last two years I have signed more death certificates than ever," he said.

As the United States marks the grim milestone of one million Covid deaths, health care workers who have served on the frontlines continue to shoulder a heavy burden, even as the rest of society has moved on.

Many are exhausted, traumatized, and still afraid of crowded settings.

Varon remembers well his first death, that of an immigrant working in a hotel.

"He came into the hospital, and literally within a week he died, at 34 years of age without any pre-existing medical conditions," he said.

From then, until the last big wave at the start of this year, there was little respite.

Varon recalls nurses crying as they faced never-ending ICU admissions, beds in hallways, one intubation after another.

He also remembers his wife asking him to change his clothes in the garage before entering their home, after 20-hour shifts.

The Thanksgiving photograph, said Varon, "became a symbol that we doctors also have feelings."

At that moment, he didn't care about protecting himself, but wanted to give comfort to a man who didn't know if he'd make it and couldn't see his wife, since visits were not permitted.

The demands of work also extracted a personal toll. Varon feels far older than his 59 years, hasn't gone on vacation since the start of the pandemic, and was phoning in prescriptions on the day of his daughter's wedding.

He now sees "light at the end of the tunnel" and isn't seeing many Covid patients -- though he is seeing patients with post-Covid disorders including heart and lung issues.

- Stressed by crowds -

Early on, the disease was a total mystery: how it was transmitted, who was most susceptible, how to treat it.

Health workers feared bringing it home to their loved ones, or dying themselves.

That fear was heightened for Daniel Brenner, an emergency physician interviewed by AFP at the start of the pandemic, when doctors were scrambling to find the right strategies to deal with severe lung injury caused by serious cases of Covid.

Brenner's wife is also an emergency doctor -- and until the vaccine came along, they lived in dread of leaving behind their two young children, now aged five and three.

"The thought of dying because of what you do and leaving your children as orphans is terrifying," the 38-year-old said.

Now working in Indianapolis, Brenner says he's found it hard to re-adjust to crowds, despite far lower levels of Covid in the community, and hardly does things he used to take for granted, like eating inside restaurants.

"It's unfortunate because I'm trying to make sure that I don't inflict my trauma on my kids," he said, becoming emotional.

"I want to make sure that they have enriching fulfilling things in their lives, but it's really hard when I'm trying to figure out what's safe."

The vaccine was a major turning point, says Brenner, greatly reducing the risk of severe disease and lifting a weight off his shoulders.

But there are still vaccine holdouts getting sick.

"I have a mixture of sadness and frustration because it's preventable and I see people who are spreading misinformation, and doing themselves and their neighbors and their family a disservice," he said.

On a more hopeful note, Brenner makes a point of talking to all high-risk patients he sees about Covid vaccinations, and finds that the hesitant are generally amenable once he addresses their fears.

"The vast majority of my patients, after I have that conversation, ask me where to get vaccinated," he says.

Brenner directs them to a walkup clinic within the same hospital.

ia-la/dw/sst

COACHING IS ABUSE

Canada Gymnasts Break Silence On Abuses And Sport's 'Toxic Culture'


By Genevieve NORMAND

AFP
05/12/22 

They excelled in the athletic spotlight, but their feats on the beam and bars masked a darker reality: Canadian gymnasts are taking legal action to denounce a "toxic" culture of physical, sexual and psychological abuse by the sport's top brass.

Having tolerated the harm for decades, victims around the world have come forward in the wake of a US gymnastics scandal that broke in 2015 before spreading abroad, including to Britain where athletes launched a similar legal action last year.

As a child gymnast in Vancouver, Amelia Cline dreamed of Olympic glory. In her teens, the elite athlete devoted thirty hours a week to training.

"Unfortunately the early years of my gymnastics days, as positive as they were, they've been somewhat wiped out by those last three years that were so brutal," the former gymnast, now 32, told AFP.

She and other athletes on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Gymnastics Canada and several provincial federations for tolerating a climate of abuse and mistreatment for decades.

"The lawsuit is essentially designed to hopefully hold these institutions accountable for systemic psychological, emotional, physical and sexual violence," she said.

Amelia Cline performs on the balance beam at a national competition in Winnipeg, Canada, in 2002 

Photo: Amelia Cline via AFP / Handout

At the end of March, a group of more than 70 present and former gymnasts published an open letter to Sports Canada denouncing a "toxic culture and abusive practices that persist within Canadian gymnastics."

The number of signatories has since grown to more than 400, with the group calling for an independent investigation to shed light on the sport's problems.

The "general public really doesn't understand the magnitude of the abuses that are occurring at the gyms," said Kim Shore, a former gymnast and spokeswoman for Gymnast For Change Canada, who says her daughter has also suffered mistreatment in the sport.

Micheline Calmy-Rey, president of the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation created in 2019 in response to the scandal said "it seems logical to us that an independent investigation be conducted."

Gymnastics Canada has not yet responded to a request for comment about the lawsuit by AFP.

Photo courtesy of Amelia Cline shows her performing a 2002-2003 balance beam move during training in Coquitlam, Canada 

Photo: Amelia Cline via AFP / Handout

In a blog post, Cline says that at 14, she weighed 85 pounds (38.5 kg) and was "grilled about my weight on a weekly basis."

Some 20 years after giving up gymnastics, she says she still suffers from the "long-term effects" of mistreatment that left her with chronic pain and made it hard for her to maintain healthy eating habits.

Like many of her peers, she laments a "culture of fear and silence" in gymnastics clubs across the country. "You don't question what (the coaches) are doing. They're the experts, and they're the ones who are going to take you to the Olympics," she explained.

"I was always afraid of my coaches," another gymnast told AFP on condition of anonymity. "I loved gymnastics. I loved travelling. I loved being with the other girls, but I was so afraid of them."

She described a powerful loneliness felt by child gymnasts, whose parents were often banned from practices. Very young athletes were even told never to speak about their training.

"Many times the kids are told what happens in the gym stays in the gym," recalled Shore.

She says gymnastics has been corrupted by a "culture of control and dominance" over athletes.

"The provincial bodies are made up of individuals who are conflicted," she said, explaining that "in some provinces, the chair of the board is also the head coach of a gymnastics club."

Now that a claim has been filed and the problems have been exposed, Cline and her lawyers believe that the number of plaintiffs will increase "significantly."

Cline just wishes her nightmare will never be experienced by other young gymnasts.

"There's really no other mechanism within Canada to actually hold institutions like this accountable except through the legal system," she said.

Priceless antique bust found in thrift shop to return to Germany

A woman bought a marble bust for $35 in a thrift shop in Texas. It turned out to be an invaluable antique that has been traced back — and will be returned — to Germany.

A priceless find in a goodwill shop

The Bavarian Palace Administration, the largest public authority responsible for museums in Germany, told DW in an email that they are overjoyed "at the rediscovery of a piece of Bavarian history that was thought to have been lost."

In August 2018, a woman bought a marble bust that weighs about 25 kilograms (55 pounds) in a thrift store in Austin, Texas. She paid just under $35, she recently told The New York Times. She resells interesting objects, so she researched this one, too, and sent photos to various auction houses.

Sotheby's answered with surprising information. According to the auction house, the bust dates back to Roman antiquity and is about 2,000 years old. An employee found photos in a digital database showing it in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, in the 1930s.

From a legal point of view, the bust is still the property of Germany.

During World War II, it was stored with other artifacts as the Pompejanum, the replica of a Roman villa in the city of Aschaffenburg where the bust was exhibited, was heavily damaged by bombs. Presumably, US soldiers stationed in Germany later brought the bust to America.

Pompejanum in Aschaffenburg, rebuilt after World War II

Displayed in Aschaffenburg as early as 1850

Modeled after Sextus Pompeius, a military leader and son of an ally of Julius Caesar, the bust is on show for a year at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) before it returns to Germany's Pompejanum, where it was first displayed in 1850.

King Ludwig I had the replica of a house in Pompeii built from 1840 to 1848 to study ancient culture. After the Second World War, the museum was restored in the 1960s.

Palestinians honour slain journalist, reject joint probe

Issued on: 12/05/2022 

Palestinian honour guards carry the coffin of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at the presidential headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah 

ABBAS MOMANI AFP

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Thousands of Palestinians on Thursday honoured Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh across the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem, a day after she was shot dead during an Israeli army raid.

Israel and the Palestinians have traded blame over the killing of Palestinian-American Abu Akleh, 51, a veteran of the Qatar-based network's Arabic service, during clashes in the Jenin refugee camp.

The United States, European Union and United Nations have backed calls for a full investigation into what Al Jazeera labelled a deliberate killing "in cold blood", but the Palestinian Authority (PA) has rejected holding a joint probe with Israel.

In a sign of Abu Akleh's stature among Palestinians, she received what was described as a full state memorial at the Ramallah compound of president Mahmud Abbas.

Thousands lined the streets as her coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag, was driven through the West Bank city.

Many held flowers, wreaths and pictures of Abu Akleh, who has been widely hailed for her bravery and professionalism through her coverage of the conflict.

'Wound in our hearts'

"This crime should not go unpunished," said Abbas, adding that the PA held Israel "completely responsible" for her death, and had "refused and rejected" an Israeli proposal for a joint investigation.

A Palestinian woman holds a photograph of slain veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, as her body is carried toward the offices of the news channel in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on May 11, 2022

 RONALDO SCHEMIDT AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had said Wednesday it was "likely" Abu Akleh was killed by stray Palestinian gunfire -- but Defence Minister Benny Gantz later conceded that it could have been "the Palestinians who shot her" or fire from "our side".

Bennett on Thursday accused the PA of blocking Israel from accessing "the basic findings that would be necessary in order to reach the truth," and warned them not to "taint the investigative process."

Draped in a Palestinian scarf, Tariq Ahmed, 45, described the death as a "tragedy for all the nation", comparing his grief to that he felt at the funeral of iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

"I have not felt this pain since Arafat died," Ahmed said.

Another mourner, 45-year-old Hadil Hamdan, said that "Shireen was part of our lives", adding that "her voice entered every home, and her loss is a wound in our hearts".
No joint probe

Abu Akleh, a Christian born in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, is scheduled to be buried in the city on Friday.

Jenin refugee camp Valentin RAKOVSKY AFP

As her coffin began its journey to Jerusalem to the drumbeat of a marching band, crowds chanted slogans demanding an end to Palestinian security cooperation with Israel.

Israel had publicly called for a joint probe and stressed the need for Palestinian authorities to hand over the fatal bullet for forensic examination.

The European Union has urged an "independent" probe while the United States demanded the killing be "transparently investigated", calls echoed by UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet.

But senior PA official Hussein Al-Sheikh, a close Abbas confidant, said the Palestinian "investigation would be completed independently".

He added that Abu Akleh's family, the United States, Qatar and "all official authorities" would be informed of the results.

An initial autopsy and forensic examination were conducted in Nablus in the Israel-occupied West Bank hours after her death, but no final conclusions have been disclosed.

A source in the Palestinian attorney general's office said the results of a preliminary report on the bullet were expected as early as Thursday evening.
New Jewish settlements

In a move likely to further inflame West Bank tensions, Israel on Thursday advanced plans for 4,427 Jewish settler homes.

Palestinian artists paint a mural in honour of slain veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Gaza City on May 12 

MOHAMMED ABED AFP

Some 475,000 settlers live in the West Bank, alongside some 2.7 million Palestinians, in communities widely regarded as illegal under international law.

Settlement monitor Peace Now warned the announcement "deepens the occupation," while right-wing Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, a member of Bennett's religious nationalist Yamina party, hailed "day of celebration for the settler movement."

The Civil Administration's high planning committee gave final approval to 2,791 units and initial endorsement for another 1,636 units, Peace Now said.

Tensions have again risen with a wave of attacks that have killed at least 18 people in Israel since March 22, including an Arab-Israeli police officer and two Ukrainians.

© 2022 AFP

Initial probe shows that Israeli forces shot rounds towards Shireen Abu Akleh: HAARETZ

Ahram Online , Wednesday 11 May 2022

An initial probe by the Israeli Army showed that the Israeli forces have fired dozens of bullets during the raid in the West Bank that led to the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (51) on Wednesday, Israeli newspaper HAARETZ reported.


Slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

While the initial probe says that most of the Israeli fire was directed southwards, and Abu Akleh and a Reuters photographer who was wounded were positioned to the north of the Israeli forces, it admitted that ‘it appears that some Israeli fire was directed northwards as well, according to HAARETZ.

The probe is inconclusive if Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli fire or Palestinian gunmen while she was covering a military raid in Jenin on Wednesday.

According to sources, who spoke to the Hebrew newspaper, the probe showed that Abu Akleh was about 150 meters away from Israeli military forces when she was shot and killed.

M-16 Rifle

Israeli soldiers from the elite Duvdevan Unit fired a few dozen bullets during the raid in Jenin, the investigation shows, but whether it was Israeli or Palestinian gunfire that killed the Al Jazeera reporter is unknown.

The bullet, which struck her in the head, is 5.56 millimeters in diameter and was shot from an M16 rifle, but Haaretz said that ‘since such rifles are used by both the Israeli forces and Palestinian cells in the West Bank, the information is insufficient to determine which side fired the bullet’.

Sources told the newspaper that in the course of an arrest outside the Jenin refugee camp, 'hundreds of bullets were shot at Israeli troops, who responded by firing dozens of bullets at specific targets'.

The sources claimed that some of the rounds fired at them came from a gunman who they spotted on the roof of a house, an armed man peering from a window and others.

Most of the Israeli fire was directed southwards, while Abu Akleh and a Reuters photographer who was wounded were positioned to the north of the Israeli forces. Nevertheless, it appears that some Israeli fire was directed northwards as well, the proble claimed.

The paper said that officials believe that a ballistics examination of the Israeli troops' weapons could either confirm or refute the claim that the bullet that hit Abu Akleh was fired by an Israeli soldier.

UN demands probe into killing of Al Jazeera journalist in West Bank

AFP , Wednesday 11 May 2022

The UN human rights office on Wednesday said it was "appalled" at the killing of a veteran Al Jazeera reporter in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday and demanded a transparent investigation.



Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaks to the media about the Tigray region of Ethiopia during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Nov. 3, 2021. AP


Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was shot dead as she covered an Israeli army raid.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet's office said it was on the ground and trying to verify the facts.

"We are appalled at the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while covering an Israeli military operation in Jenin, Palestine," UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet's office said on Twitter.

"Our office is on the ground verifying the facts.

"We urge an independent, transparent investigation into her killing. Impunity must end."

The Qatar-based TV channel Al Jazeera charged that Israeli forces deliberately and "in cold blood" shot Abu Akleh in the head during the unrest in the Jenin refugee camp earlier on Wednesday.

While Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it was "likely" that "armed Palestinians, who were indiscriminately firing at the time, were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist".


EU condemns killing of Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in West Bank

Ahram Online , Wednesday 11 May 2022

The European Union has condemned the killing of Palestinian-American Al-Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank on Wednesday.


Palestinians carry the flag-draped body of veteran Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as it is carried toward the offices of the news channel in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on May 11, 2022. - Al-Jazeera said Abu Akleh, 51, a prominent figure in the channel s Arabic news service was shot dead by Israeli troops early Wednesday as she was covering a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

Abu Akleh was killed by what Al-Jazeera says was Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank. Another journalist, Ali Al-Samoud, was wounded in the incident.

"Our condolences go to her family, friends, and colleagues," EU spokesperson said in a statement.

"It is essential that a thorough, independent investigation clarifies all the circumstances of these incidents as soon as possible and that those responsible are brought to justice. It is unacceptable to target journalists while they perform their job. Journalists covering conflict situations must be ensured safety and protection at all times."

The EU spokesperson affirmed that the European Union stands in solidarity with journalists and will continue to support their fundamental work, in particular while covering conflicts.

Marcel Khalife, Fairuz, Assala mourn killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

Ahram Online , Wednesday 11 May 2022

Shortly following news of the death of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by alleged Israeli gunfire in the West Bank, Arab artists took to social media to express their sorrow and condemn the killing.


Palestinians hold posters displaying veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, who was, according to the network, shot dead by Israeli troops as she covered a raid on the West Bank s Jenin refugee camp on May 11, 2022. AFP


Among the first to mourn Abu Akleh was Lebanese composer and oud player, as well as strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, Marcel Khalife.

“Shireen Abu Akleh will continue living with us through her message of tenderness and love, under the blazing sky,” Khalife wrote on his Twitter account.

Iconic Lebanese singer Fairuz posted a photo of Abu Akleh, adding a quote from lyrics to one of her songs: “We cannot stop the humiliation, killing, fear and displacement.” The song is based on John Lennon’s Imagine, which calls for peace.

“The wounded girl of Palestine,” Syrian singer Assala wrote on Twitter, adding that “she believed in her homeland and her work, and paid with her life for the truth.”

Independent musicians also offered their condolences. El Far3i, a Palestinian and Jordanian songwriter and rapper, wrote on Twitter, “she covered the news of the land and the martyrs until she was martyred herself.”

Photos of the journalist were also shared by dozens of Arab artists, including Palestinian-Egyptian poet Tamim Al-Barghouti.

Abu Akleh was killed, seemingly by Israeli soldiers, in the northern West Bank city of Jenin earlier today.

Al-Jazeera and a reporter who was wounded in the incident have blamed Israeli forces for the killing. Israeli authorities say they are still investigating.

Abu Akleh, 51, was born in Jerusalem. She began working for Al-Jazeera in 1997 and regularly reported on-camera from across the Palestinian territories. In video footage of the incident, she can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word “PRESS.”

Abu Akleh’s producer Ali Samoudi, who was wounded in the incident, told The Associated Press they were among a group of seven reporters who were covering the raid early on Wednesday.

Israeli minister pledges full probe into killing of Al Jazeera reporter in West Bank

AP , Wednesday 11 May 2022

Israel's defense minister promised a thorough investigation of the killing of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh on Wednesday and asked that Palestinian officials hand over the bullet that killed her.

Benny Gantz. AP

Benny Gantz told reporters that Israel has been in touch with US and Palestinian officials, and said all parts of the investigation would be made public.

The Israeli army initially suggested that Abu Akleh might have been killed by stray fire from Palestinian militants. The military chief, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, later stepped back from that assertion, saying it was unclear who had fired the deadly bullet.

But Gantz was more cautious Wednesday evening. ``We are trying to figure out exactly what happened....I don't have final conclusions.''

``I am very sorry for what happened,'' Gantz told reporters.

``Currently, we do not know what was the direct cause of Shireen's death. We are very decisive to have a full-scale investigation of this process, and we hope to get Palestinian cooperation on this issue. Without the report of the pathological findings and the forensic findings, it would be very hard for us to find out what happened on the ground.''

``We investigated all the troops that were part of the operation,`` he added. ``So far, we don't have any final conclusion.''

Abu Akleh's death could draw new scrutiny to Israel's military justice system, which is being examined as part of a war crimes probe conducted by the International Criminal Court. It also threatened to further strain often rocky relations between the army and the international media.

Slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was icon of Palestinian coverage

AP , Wednesday 11 May 2022


A veteran Al Jazeera correspondent who was shot dead on Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank was a highly respected journalist in the Middle East whose unflinching coverage was known to millions of viewers.


Women watch an Al Jazeera obituary report on TV at the family home of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina in Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem on Wednesday, after she was killed as she covered an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. AFP

News of Shireen Abu Akleh's death reverberated across the region. The 51-year-old journalist became a household name synonymous with Al Jazeera's coverage of life under occupation during her more than two decades reporting in the Palestinian territories, including during the second intifada, or uprising, that killed thousands of Palestinians.

Abu Akleh's name trended across Twitter in Arabic on Wednesday, setting social media alight with support for the Palestinians.

Her image was projected over the main square in the West Bank city of Ramallah as mourners flooded the Al Jazeera offices there and her family home in east Jerusalem.

Abu Akleh's coverage of the harsh realities of Israel's military occupation was inextricably linked with her own experiences as a Palestinian journalist on the front lines.

Her death underscores the heavy price the conflict continues to exact on Palestinians, regardless of their role as journalists.

Although she was also a US citizen who often visited America in the summers, she lived and worked in her homeland Palestine in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Abu Akleh, a Palestinian Christian whose family was originally from Bethlehem, was born and raised in Jerusalem. She leaves behind a brother and her parents.

In an Al Jazeera video released last year, Abu Akleh recalled the scale of destruction and "the feeling that death was at times just around the corner'' during her coverage of the second intifada, from 2000-to 2005.

"Despite the dangers, we were determined to do the job," she said.

"I chose journalism so I could be close to the people,'' she added.

"It might not be easy to change the reality, but at least I was able to communicate their voice to the world.''

Abu Akleh joined Al Jazeera in 1997, just a year after the groundbreaking Arabic news network launched.

Among her many assignments were covering five wars in Gaza and Israel's war with Lebanon in 2006. She reported on forced home evictions, the killings of Palestinian youth, the hundreds of Palestinians held without charge in Israeli prisons, and the continuous expansion of Jewish settlements.

Her longtime producer, Wessam Hammad, said Abu Akleh possessed an incredible ability to remain calm under pressure.

"Shireen worked all these years with a commitment to the values and ethics of our profession,'' he said of Abu Akleh, who the network called "the face of Al Jazeera in Palestine.''

He and Abu Akleh were often caught in Israeli cross-fire during the many stories they covered together, he said. On one assignment, their car was filled with tear gas and they struggled to breathe, When they would think back on these moments, he said Abu Akleh would laugh and marvel at how they managed to survive.

Images of the moments after Abu Akleh was shot in the head in the West Bank town of Jenin circulated online and were broadcast on Al Jazeera and other Arabic news channels.

Wearing a helmet and a vest clearly marked "PRESS," Abu Akleh's body was shown lying face down in a patch of sand. A Palestinian man jumped over a wall to reach her as gunshots rang out, dragging her motionless body to a car.

In a video from the West Bank hospital where Abu Akleh was pronounced dead, a male colleague was seen weeping at her hospital bed as others choked back tears.

A female correspondent for Al Jazeera in the Gaza Strip wept on air as she reported from a vigil for the journalist.

Later Wednesday, Abu Akleh's body, draped in a Palestinian flag and covered by a wreath of flowers, was carried through downtown Ramallah on a red stretcher. Hundreds chanted, "With our spirit, with our blood, we will redeem you, Shireen.''

An outpouring of condemnation came from governments around the world. The US State Department called her death "an affront to media freedom.''

Al Jazeera and witnesses, including her producer who was shot in the back Wednesday, said Israeli forces killed her.

Israel said it was unclear who was responsible, calling it "premature and irresponsible to cast blame at this stage.''

It had started as another routine assignment for Abu Akleh. She'd emailed colleagues that she was heading to the Jenin refugee camp to check on reports of an Israeli military raid.

"I will bring you the news as soon as the picture becomes clear,'' she wrote.

"Generations grew up seeing her work,'' producer Hammad, said.

"People listened to Shireen's voice and were influenced by her to study journalism so they could be like her.''

Abu Akleh's niece, Lina Abu Akleh, described her as a "best friend'' and "second mom''.

"She is someone that I was looking up to since I was a kid, watching all of her reports," she told journalists from the family's home. "I never thought this day would come where the news would be about her."

Qatar emir blames Israel for Al Jazeera journalist death

AFP , Thursday 12 May 2022

The emir of Qatar on Thursday accused Israel over the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank.

A Palestinian man looks at the front pages of local newspapers reporting on the death veteran Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead while covering an Israeli army raid in Jenin, in the West Bank city of Hebron on May 12, 2022. AFP

Abu Akleh was "killed by the Israeli occupation forces", Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said at a joint news conference in Tehran with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi.

"We must hold the perpetrators of this heinous crime accountable," the Qatari leader added.

Abu Akleh, a 51-year-old Palestinian-American, was shot dead on Wednesday as she covered the Israeli military operation in the Jenin refugee camp.

The Qatar-based pan-Arab television channel charged that the Israeli forces had killed her deliberately "in cold blood".

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had said Wednesday it was "likely" Abu Akleh was killed by stray Palestinian gunfire, but Defence Minister Benny Gantz later conceded it could have been "the Palestinians who shot her" or fire from "our side".

Calls have mounted around the world for an independent investigation into the shooting.

But the Palestinians have turned down an Israeli offer to carry out a joint probe, saying they would investigate alone and share their findings.

Israeli newspaper HAARETZ on Wednesday reported that an initial probe by the Israeli Army showed that the Israeli forces have fired dozens of bullets during the raid in the West Bank that led to the killing of Abu Akleh.

The Iranian president also implicated Israel, the sworn enemy of the Islamic republic.

"We are certain that these crimes cannot bring security to the Zionist regime. To the contrary, they will only increase popular anger" towards Israel, Raisi said.

SEE 

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2022/05/shireen-abu-akleh-outrage-grows-over-al.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2022/05/palestinians-honour-slain-journalist.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2022/05/rest-in-power-shireen-abu-aqla.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2022/05/al-jazeera-reporter-killed-during.html

Shireen Abu Akleh: Outrage grows over Al Jazeera journalist's killing

Palestinian-American journalist and long-time Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed while covering an Israeli military raid in the West Bank.

Mourners gathered to pay their respects to journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during a memorial in the West Bank city of Ramallah

Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was honored at a memorial service in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, amid calls for an independent probe into the reporter's death.

The 51-year-old Palestinian-American died on Wednesday after being hit by gunfire while covering an Israeli military operation in the city of Jenin.

Al Jazeera and witnesses at the scene, including a fellow Al Jazeera reporter and a photographer for the Agence France Press (AFP) news agency, said she died as a result of Israeli gunfire. The Qatar-based broadcaster said in a statement that Abu Akleh was targeted "deliberately."

Israel 'not certain' who is responsible

Israel has called for a joint-investigation and said it was unclear who was responsible.

On Wednesday evening, Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz said it could have been "the Palestinians who shot her" or that the fire came from "our side."

"We are not certain how she was killed but we want to get to the bottom of this incident and to uncover the truth as much as we can," Gantz told reporters.

Immediately following news of her death, Israel said that a Palestinian gunman might have fired the fatal shot during clashes with the Israeli military, with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett saying the reporter was "likely" hit by stray Palestinian gunfire.

Her death sparked shock throughout the region, while governments around the world condemned her killing.

Al Jazeera reporter shot dead in occupied West Bank

Memorial service honors journalist

On Thursday, Abu Akleh's body was taken to the Palestinian Authority's (PA) presidential compound for an official memorial ceremony in Ramallah.

President Mahmoud Abbas paid his respects to the journalist and dismissed Israel's offer for a joint probe.

"We rejected the joint investigation with the Israeli occupation authorities because they committed the crime and because we don't trust them," Abbas said in the memorial.

He added that the PA "will go immediately to the International Criminal Court" to file a case.
Growing calls for independent investigation

Following Abu Akleh's death, tributes from journalists around the world poured in on social media, with many offering condolences and mourning the loss of a highly-respected colleague who was known for her steadfast coverage of topics in the Middle East.

Calls for an independent probe into those responsible for Abu Akleh's death also gained support from journalist groups and world leaders.

Christophe Deloire, the director general of Reporters Without Borders, said that the organization was "disappointed" with Israel's offer to hold a joint probe, adding that "an independent international investigation must be launched."



UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was "appalled" and urged "the relevant authorities to carry out an independent and transparent investigation" to assure those responsible for the shooting are held accountable, according to a statement from a UN spokesperson.

The European Union also called for an "independent" inquiry.

The United States appealed for a swift probe into Abu Akleh's death, but said Washington would rely on Israel to investigate.

"We call for an immediate and thorough investigation and full accountability," US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in a press briefing.

"The Israelis have the wherewithal and the capabilities to conduct a thorough, comprehensive investigation," Price said.

Al Jazeera reported that Abu Akleh's body will be taken to East Jerusalem later on Thursday to a hospital near where her family lives. The burial is expected to take place on Friday.

SEE 

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2022/05/palestinians-honour-slain-journalist.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2022/05/rest-in-power-shireen-abu-aqla.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2022/05/al-jazeera-reporter-killed-during.html