Tag Archives: killings

NYT: ‘Syed Saleem Shahzad’s murderers must be found quickly and held accountable’

The New York Times has devoted this morning’s editorial to the death of Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad.

Shahzad, who was investigating links between the military and al Quaeda before his death, disappeared on Sunday. He was found dead on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency has been widely accused of being behind the death but has fiercely denied any involvement.

The Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad knew he was a marked man. Mr. Shahzad, who covered national security and terrorism, had received repeated threats from Pakistan’s powerful spy agency. Yet he courageously kept doing his job — until somebody silenced him. His body, his face horribly beaten, was buried on Wednesday.

Suspicion inevitably falls on Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s chief intelligence agency. For the sake of justice, and the shredded credibility of Pakistan’s government, his murderers must be found quickly and held accountable.

Read the full editorial at this link.

Spanish judge to travel to Iraq to visit scene of cameraman’s death

The BBC reports today that a Spanish judge will travel to Iraq to visit the scene where cameraman Jose Couso was killed by tank fire, at Baghdad’s Palestine Hotel, a base for journalists during the invasion of the country.

Journalism.co.uk reported in July last year that an investigation into the death of the Spanish journalist had been reopened.

Another journalist, Reuters reporter Taras Protsyuk, from the Ukraine, was also killed by the tank shelling at the Palestine Hotel on 8 April 2003.

The BBC report today says that a prosecutor has warned that evidence gathered may not be admissable in court but that investigating magistrate Santiago Pedraz said that “visiting the scene of the cameraman’s death was a crucial part of proceedings”.

He will travel to Baghdad with four journalists who witnessed what happened, and three lawyers.