New York - Ramallah: Europe and the Arabs
On the one-year anniversary of the killing of the Palestinian journalist Sherine Abu Aqleh, UN experts said that her killing “embodies the grave human rights violations that Palestinians have faced under Israeli occupation for more than 55 years.” According to the UN news bulletin, of which we received a copy via e-mail.
In a statement issued yesterday, Thursday, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the killing of the prominent Al-Jazeera journalist, the experts warned that justice in her case is still "hostage to politics," while the Israeli authorities have failed, as they put it, to hold the perpetrators accountable despite independent investigations indicating the involvement of its forces in it.
The Palestinian-American journalist was shot on May 11, 2022 while carrying out her professional duties while covering the Israeli forces' incursion into Jenin camp.
The experts noted that several independent investigations conducted by various bodies and organizations, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, concluded that Mrs. Abu Aqleh was killed by apparently targeted bullets, most likely fired by Israeli forces, even though she was wearing visible signs. She appears to be a journalist.
Internal investigations conducted by the Israeli army concluded that there was a "high probability" that she was "mistakenly hit" by their forces' fire, but the Israeli authorities have not opened a criminal investigation into her death and no one has been held accountable.
The experts stressed that all requirements of international law for the investigation of possible unlawful deaths were violated, including speed, effectiveness, thoroughness, independence, impartiality and transparency. They said that the failure to conduct a prompt and effective investigation, followed by prosecution and judicial proceedings, "may in and of itself constitute a violation of the right to life."

Justice and truth
The UN experts urged the Israeli authorities to ensure that those responsible are held accountable without delay, stressing the right of Mrs. Abu Aqleh's family to obtain justice, truth and appropriate compensation, and stressed that the entire world "needs to know what happened."
In their statement, they added: “The safety of journalists, particularly in situations of conflict and occupation, is critical to support accountability and transparency. The willful killing of a female journalist in such cases amounts to an extrajudicial execution, a flagrant violation of the right to life, and willful killing under the Geneva Convention.” fourth".
Fatal raids
The experts also deplored the record high number of Palestinian deaths in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in recent months in the context of raids by Israeli forces, which often targeted refugee camps.
They noted that more than 100 Palestinians were killed in the course of these operations, including in Jenin, Nablus and Jericho. They said that at least 18 Palestinian journalists have been killed by the Israeli army in the Occupied Palestinian Territory "and that no one has been held accountable for these deaths".
They added: "The evidence indicates that Israeli forces repeatedly use lethal force against Palestinians in violation of international law, which prohibits the deliberate lethal use of firearms except in cases where it is unavoidable."

"betrayal of the charter"
The experts said that the killing of Sherine Abu Aqleh exemplifies the grave violations Palestinians faced under the Israeli occupation, as their “rights to self-determination, life, and freedom of expression are constantly violated.”
"The Palestinian people live under the yoke of impunity for (the perpetrators of the violations) and the lack of compensation for the violations committed."
The experts urged the international community to take concrete measures in the face of these violations, stressing that the UN Charter "is being betrayed every day in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
The experts have raised the matter with the Israeli government and duly called for a prompt, transparent, thorough and independent investigation into Ms. Abu Aqleh's death, but the Israeli authorities have yet to respond to their letter.

The experts are:
Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.
Maurice Tidbal Baines, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
* It is noteworthy that the special rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is an intergovernmental body responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Rapporteurs and experts are charged with studying human rights situations and submitting reports on them to the Human Rights Council. It should be noted that this position is ceremonial, and these experts are not considered employees of the United Nations and do not receive remuneration for their work.