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IRIB World Service chief pays tribute to slain Palestinian journalist for exposing Israeli crimes

Wednesday, 11 May 2022 4:51 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 11 May 2022 4:57 PM ]

Israeli forces shot dead Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist for the Arabic-language Al Jazeera television news network, as she was covering an army raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on May 11, 2022. (Photo via Twitter)

The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) World Service, Dr. Ahmad Norouzi, in a statement on Wednesday strongly denounced the cold-blooded killing of a veteran Palestinian journalist by Israeli regime forces.

He paid tribute to the slain Palestinian journalist for exposing the Tel Aviv regime's horrendous crimes and expressed solidarity with international journalists who honestly and fearlessly report on Israeli atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories, without caring for consequences.

Shireen Abu Akleh, a longtime TV correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic, was killed on Wednesday after being shot in the head while covering Israeli army raids in the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.

She was rushed to a hospital in Jenin in critical condition, where she was declared dead shortly after, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Ali Samoudi, another Palestinian journalist for the Al Jazeera channel, was hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in the back.

Dr. Norouzi blasted Israel’s relentless witch-hunt against the Palestinian media fraternity and targeted killing of journalists who dare to shed light on the regime’s unrestrained aggression against oppressed Palestinians in the holy city of al-Quds and elsewhere across the occupied territories.

“These crimes have undoubtedly targeted not only journalists but also doctors, nurses, and those who are known to bravely confront the regime’s military aggression,” the IRIB World Service chief asserted.

“Shireen Abu Akleh has joined the ranks of victims of the Zionist regime’s aggression against human rights, humanity, and freedom. She will be remembered fondly by all.”

Dr. Norouzi, underscoring a myriad of challenges faced by free media, said his colleagues at the IRIB World Service have time and again suffered harm while exposing the Israeli regime’s murderous plots against the Palestinian nation and other regional states.

Importantly, Abu Akleh was wearing a press vest and was standing with other journalists when she was targeted, her colleagues said.

Al-Samoudi and other journalists who witnessed the cold-blooded murder said there were no Palestinian fighters present when the journalists were shot, dismissing the Israeli regime’s claim about the possibility that it was Palestinian fire.

Abu Akleh’s killing has drawn widespread condemnation from governments, human rights watchdogs, media advocacy groups, and resistance movements across the world.

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