CPJ releases report on Israeli military killings of journalists ahead of 1-year anniversary of Shireen Abu Akleh’s murder

A CPJ delegation holds up copies of CPJ’s new report, “Deadly Pattern,” at the Hotel Tel Aviv on May 9, 2023. From left: CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour, Features Editor Naomi Zeveloff, Director of Special Projects Robert Mahoney, and Director of Advocacy and Communications Gypsy Guillen Kaiser. (Waleed Kamar for CPJ)

Today is the one-year anniversary of the killing of Al-Jazeera Arabic correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh, who was fatally shot while reporting on an Israeli military raid in the West Bank. Ahead of this anniversary, CPJ released a new special report, “Deadly Pattern: 20 journalists died by Israeli military fire in 22 years. No one has been held accountable.”

Over 22 years, CPJ has documented at least 20 journalist killings by members of the Israel Defense Forces. Despite numerous IDF probes, no one has ever been charged or held responsible for these deaths. The impunity in these cases has severely undermined the freedom of the press, leaving the rights of journalists in precarity and undermining coverage of the region.

“The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and the failure of the army’s investigative process to hold anyone responsible is not a one-off event,” said CPJ Director of Special Projects Robert Mahoney, who also wrote a column in Israeli newspaper Haaretz about the report.

A CPJ delegation launched the report at a press conference in Tel Aviv on May 9, and hosted a panel discussion on the report in Ramallah the following day.

🔖 Dive deeper: How Israel probes journalist killings and A deadly reporting field for Palestinian journalists

🔎 Explore the faces of the killed journalists and our interactive map

📌 Consider CPJ’s recommendations to Israel, the United States, and the international community

🎥 Watch the Tel Aviv report launch

Separately, on May 10, CPJ published a look into how Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party are facing one of the toughest challenges of their two decades in office. Turkey Representative Özgür Öğret spoke with journalists in the country about how the elections could affect the press freedom environment.

Global press freedom updates

Spotlight

The New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival is taking place from May 31 to June 11. The 2023 festival focuses on the determination and courage of individuals to stand up for their freedom and rights, and films will be available to watch with live discussions in person or online as part of the digital festival from June 5 to 11.

CPJ is a presenting partner for two films:

➡️ The Etilaat Roz—A firsthand account of the experience of the staff at The Etilaat Roz, the most widely read newspaper in Kabul, as they decide between staying to report on the 2021 takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban or fleeing the country. The film will be screened in person at Film at Lincoln Center on June 1, with a live Q&A.

➡️ Draw Me Egypt—This film mixes documentary filmmaking with animated cartoons to follow Doaa el-Adl, one of the most prominent female cartoonists in the Arab world, as she advocates for women’s rights in Egypt and globally. The film will be screened in person at Film at Lincoln Center on June 3, with a live Q&A.

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