Soon after the meeting, Lina said that the family was still waiting to see if the Joe Biden administration “will meaningfully answer our calls for Justice for Shireen.”…reports Asian Lite News
The family of slain Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on Tuesday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to demand justice for the killing of the Al Jazeera reporter during an Israeli raid in the West Bank, it was reported.
“Today I met with the family of slain Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, whose fearless journalism earned her the respect of audiences around the world. I expressed my deepest condolences and commitment to pursue accountability for her tragic killing,” Blinken tweeted after the meeting.
Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Blinken would reiterate the need for accountability.
Lina Abu Akleh, Shireen Abu Akleh’s niece, posted a video on Twitter from outside the State Department saying that she and other family members “are here to demand justice for Shireen.”
Soon after the meeting, Lina said that the family was still waiting to see if the Joe Biden administration “will meaningfully answer our calls for Justice for Shireen.”
“Secretary Blinken told us that he has a duty to protect every US citizen. We will hold him to this. Nothing short of a US investigation that leads to real accountability is acceptable, and we won’t stop until no other American or Palestinian family endures the same pain we have.”
“We expressed to Secretary Blinken how important it was to meet with President Biden. A meeting with him will demonstrate to our family that Shireen’s case is a priority for this administration. Since he didn’t meet with us in Jerusalem, we came to DC. We need him to hear from us directly.”
“He (Blinken) committed to transparency with our family going forward, and we expect to be consulted and updated every step of the way,” she added.
Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the town of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
The State Department said this month that Abu Akleh was likely killed by gunfire from Israeli positions but that it was probably unintentional, citing an investigation by the US Security Coordinator.
Her family and Palestinian officials have criticised the US report and maintained she was deliberately targeted. Israel denies this.
“We will pursue accountability for her murder wherever it may take us,” said a statement on Twitter from Lina, Shireen’s brother Tony and nephew Victor. “Shireen lived to uncover the truth behind every story, and so shall we.”
The family had accused the United States of providing impunity for Israel over her killing. They unsuccessfully requested a meeting with President Joe Biden in person during his trip to Israel this month, it was reported.
