In Response to the Killing of Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

AMEJA is mourning the loss of one of the most renowned Palestinian voices in journalism. Shireen Abu Akleh was a trailblazer and her death is sending shockwaves throughout our community.

AMEJA joins other organizations in demanding a transparent and independent investigation into the actions that led to Shireen's death. Video shows Shireen and her colleagues were wearing press vests and helmets and were clearly identifiable as journalists. Journalists should be able to do their jobs without the threat of grave harm. The perpetrators have to be held accountable.

Shireen joined Al Jazeera in 1997 and soon after became a household name for those following the Israeli occupation. “Shireen was full of grace, kindness and possessed a gentleness,” says an AMEJA member who has worked with her. “Even among such highly competitive peers, the admiration for her was effusive.”

AMEJA offers its sincere condolences to Shireen's family and her friends and colleagues. We also wish Al Jazeera producer Ali Al-Samudi, who was working with Shireen and was shot in the back, a speedy recovery.

#PressFreedom #JournalismIsNotACrime

Her courage and determination to report the Palestinian story is a tribute to our profession.