Al Jazeera decides to urgently refer the case of Samer AbuDaqa’s assassination to the ICC
Al Jazeera Media Network has instructed its legal team to urgently refer the case of the assassination of its cameraman in Gaza, Samer AbuDaqa, to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
On Saturday, December 16 2023, the Network established a joint working group, which comprises of its international legal team and international legal experts who will collaboratively initiate the process of compiling a comprehensive file for submission to the court's prosecutor.
In addition to the assassination of AbuDaqa by the Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip, the legal file will also encompass recurrent attacks on the Network’s crews working and operating in the occupied Palestinian territories and instances of incitement against them.
According to Article 8 of the Charter of the International Criminal Court, the deliberate targeting of war correspondents or journalists working in war zones or occupied territories through killing or intentional physical assault constitutes a war crime.
In this context, Al Jazeera Media Network reiterates its denunciation and condemnation of the assassination crime of its colleague, Samer AbuDaqa, who devoted 19 years with the Network to covering the ongoing conflict in the occupied Palestinian territories. Al Jazeera affirms its commitment to pursuing all options possible to bring those responsible for the crime of Samer’s assassination to the International Criminal Court and to ensure that appropriate legal penalties are imposed on them.
