AFP photojournalist calls for end to impunity against journalists

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Christina Assi, a Photojournalist for Agence France Presse (AFP), has called for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists.

Assi, a war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty, made the call on Friday.

“I believe in nothing right now. Our press vests are turning us into targets and it’s becoming a death sentence for us.”

On Oct. 13, 2023,  Assi lost her right leg after two Israeli air strikes targeted the exposed hillside where she and other colleagues were observing the ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants.

This year’s commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3 was marked with sorrow as nearly 300 journalists have been killed in recent conflicts.

Assi stands among the few survivors, and she never imagined that she would be targeted simply for doing her job.

She recounted the harrowing events of that day – one of her first major assignments, which quickly became the most traumatic experience of her life.

“It was starting to get dark, and that’s when we were about to leave, and then suddenly, out of nowhere, we were targeted,” she said.

“The first time I was on the ground, I couldn’t really understand what was happening, and I was screaming for help.

“So, my colleague Dylan rushed to help me and put a tourniquet on me. But then, like 40 to 47 seconds later, we were targeted again.”

After the second strike,  Assi found herself alone beside a burning car. Bleeding and gravely injured, she had no choice but to crawl away to save her life.

“My press vest was too heavy, and the camera belt was suffocating,” she recalled.

In that moment, she began to lose faith in international laws and conventions.

“As journalists, we are left alone,” she said. “Our press vests are turning us into targets—it’s becoming a death sentence for us.”

For Assi, the international community’s response to the attack – including condemnations and UN calls for investigation – has been utterly ineffective.

“I do believe that we need more than words. We need concrete action and something to happen where that should lead to justice in one way or another. If it’s not now, then later,” she said.

She strongly condemned the impunity with which attacks on journalists continue. “Our cases are being dismissed as collateral damage when, in fact, they are not. These are war crimes, and there should be a real investigation.”

Assi also emphasised that the same impunity applied to Palestinian journalists in Gaza, who had been documenting the war there since day one.

“They’ve been silenced, targeted in every possible way. It’s all over social media and in the news—and yet nothing has been done. No action has been taken to protect these journalists,” she said.

She pointed out that the lack of international presence hadn’t stopped the violence.

“Even with the limited footage we’ve received, it’s clear how horrific everything is. But the world hasn’t reacted the way it should have. No one has even tried to stop it.”

Nearly a year after losing her leg, Assi carried the Olympic torch in the French city of Vincennes, ahead of the Paris Games in July 2024.

It was more than a symbolic gesture but a powerful opportunity to pay tribute to her colleague, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, who was killed in the same attack.

“It was a great opportunity for us to honour all the fallen journalists and let the world and the international community and the Europeans and all those who didn’t know about what happened to us, let them know about what happened,” she said (NAN)