Al Jazeera files suit at International Criminal Court over journalist's killing

[December 06, 2022]  DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Jazeera on Tuesday said it has filed a lawsuit at the International Criminal Court against Israeli forces over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot during an Israeli raid in the West Bank in May.

A picture of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed during an Israeli raid in Jenin, is displayed at the Al-Jazeera headquarters building in Doha, Qatar, May 11, 2022. REUTERS/Imad Creidi

The lawsuit following an investigation by the television news network's legal team, Al Jazeera said on Twitter.

The ICC must identify the individuals who were directly involved Abu Akleh's killing, Al Jazeera lawyer Rodney Dixon KC told a news conference in The Hague on Tuesday.

"The rulings of the International Criminal Court stipulate that those responsible be investigated and held accountable. Otherwise, they bear the same responsibility as if they were the ones who opened fire," Dixon said.

The circumstances of Abu Akleh's killing are disputed.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Tuesday that no one would question Israeli soldiers.

"No one will interrogate IDF soldiers and no one will preach to us about morals of combat, certainly not the Al Jazeera network," Lapid said.

(Reporting by Lina Najem, Riham Alkousaa and Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Barbara Lewis)

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