UN Chief Mourns Al Jazeera Journalist, Shireen Akleh

Posted by African Examiner Europe, Latest Headlines Saturday, May 14th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has followed with great sadness the funeral of Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, in occupied East Jerusalem.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, in a statement on Friday, said the UN chief was moved by the outpouring of sympathy from thousands of Palestinian mourners over the past two days, a testament to Akleh’s work and life.

He was deeply disturbed by the confrontations between Israeli security forces and Palestinians gathered at St. Joseph Hospital, and the behavior of some police present at the scene.

He continues to urge respect for fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of opinion and expression and to peaceful assembly.

Similarly, the Biden administration is also weighed in on the funeral attacks.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, said she was “deeply distressed” by the images.

“The tragedy of her killing should be handled with the utmost respect, sobriety, and care,” Thomas-Greenfield said via Twitter.

“We regret the intrusion into what should have been a peaceful procession,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday.

She said the footage of Israeli police attacking mourners was “deeply disturbing.”

Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist who was well-known and respected across the region, was shot and killed in the West Bank on Wednesday while reporting on Israeli military raids in the city of Jenin.

Reuters