Informed 12 International


Shireen Abu Akleh and Dom Phillips mourned


Tim Dawson pays tribute to lost colleagues and calls for justice to be done.


Te International Federation of Journalists has sought permission to examine the bullet which killed Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera journalist, working in Jenin, Palestine, in May while reporting on Israeli military action. Jim Boumelha, IFJ treasurer, said


lawyers had requested the Israeli Minister of Defence, on behalf of Abu Akleh’s family, to allow an independent ballistics expert to examine the firearm and the bullet.


Te NUJ has backed a call by the IFJ


for her murder to be investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Te complaint to the ICC adds Abu Akleh’s death to those of four Palestinian journalists killed or maimed by Israeli snipers while covering demonstrations in Gaza. All were wearing vests marked Press. Journalist Ali Samoudi, who was with Shireen when she was was killed, was shot in the shoulder. Tayab Ali, the partner of law firm Bindmans co-ordinating the case, said:


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Women elected to top posts in world


“Shireen’s family have trusted us to bring what happened to them to the ICC. She is not anonymous or a statistic. She was not a terrorist. She was one of us. She dedicated her life to one of the most important principles in a democracy – freedom of speech.” Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general


secretary, said: “Te IFJ is determined to shed light on the true circumstances of her killing and hold the Israeli accountable for their crimes against Palestinian journalists.” Michelle Stanistreet praised the work of the IFJ and said the union would always take up the cases of journalists targeted in the field. Te NEC passed a motion condemning the killing of NUJ member, Dom Phillips, the freelance who was murdered in the Brazilian Amazon in June, together with Bruno Pereira, a culture activist. Dom had lived and reported from Brazil since 2007, focusing on deforestation and its impact on Indigenous communities. Te motion said Dom was “among the most innovative, determined and principled reporters” and his work had shone a light on the environmental and humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Brazil’s Amazon region. Te union agreed to support the efforts of his family and friends to create a suitable memorial to Dom and keep his work alive. Tribute to Dom Phillips: htps://www.


nuj.org.uk/resource/dom-phillips-the- subterranean.html


journalism For the first time, women will lead the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) for the next three years. At meetings in Oman


and Turkey, Dominique Pradalié from France was elected IFJ president, and Maja Sever from Croatia became EFJ president. Te IFJ’s triannual congress assembled 250 delegates from 92 countries. Te NUJ’s Jim Boumelha was re-elected treasurer. Russian’s press accounts about its invasion of Ukraine


were denounced, and spying on journalists’ phones with soſtware such as Pegasus condemned. Te NUJ’s motion calling for the UK’s national safety plan for journalists to be copied elsewhere was unanimously adopted, likewise the demand for the release of WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange.


Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary, raised the issue of human rights in Oman, drawing particular atention to the LGBTQ+ community. Te NUJ delegation challenged a ban on LGBTQ+ activism by distributing rainbow badges. NEC member Tim Dawson was elected on to the EFJ’s steering commitee.


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