Family of slain US reporter sues Syrian regime

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published July 12, 2016

BRUSSELS - The family of the US reporter Marie Colvin have filed a lawsuit in a court in Washington accusing the regime of Bashar al-Assad of killing her. According to the lawsuit, The Sunday Times correspondent, who died on 22 February 2012 in the city of Homs, had been deliberately targeted and killed by the Syrian authorities to stop her from covering government atrocities.

The lawsuit, filed last Saturday, alleged that, following the confirmation of a female informant that Colvin was there, Syrian officials, acting “with premeditation”, deliberately targeted rockets against a makeshift broadcast studio where the journalist and other reporters were living while covering the conflict. As a consequence of the attack, Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik were killed, while British photographer Paul Conroy and French reporter Edith Bouvier were wounded. It also concluded that the attack was part of a plan orchestrated at the highest levels of the Syrian government to silence local and international media "as part of its effort to crush political opposition".

“No armed rebels were present at or near the media center at the time of the attack,” added the suit, which is based on information from captured government documents and defectors. It names several Syrian officials, including Assad’s brother Maher, and it was filed on behalf of Colvin’s sister Cathleen Colvin and other surviving family members by a non-profit human rights group. Media reported that the family's lawsuit is seeking monetary damages but did not specify an amount.

Philippe Leruth, IFJ President, said, “If the information and the documents filed in the court by Colvin’s family are genuine, her deliberate killing by the Syrian regime would be an intolerable attempt by the authorities to eliminate journalists and witnesses who try to report on the atrocities committed during a war and it can’t be ignored. Each time a journalist is killed because she's complying with her duty to inform, democracy and freedom are victims of the killers. The worst thing that follows a killing is the impunity. We therefore call on the international community to ensure the people behind this murder face the full force of the international law.”

An ongoing murder and attempted murder investigation was launched in France in 2012 into the death of Ochlik and wounding of another journalist Edith Bouvier, in the same attack. They allege it was a war crime and crime against humanity. Interested parties in the case said they would submit the Colvin family's U.S. lawsuit to the judge in charge of the French investigation.

Back in 2012, the IFJ and its affiliate in Great Britain and Ireland, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), sent their condolences to Colvin’s family and asked the Syrian authorities to avoid indiscriminate attacks that risk costing lives of civilians, including journalists. - IFJ media release
 

Freedom of expression shrinks in Pakistan as PECA Amendments take toll: report

 April 30, 2025:  Freedom of expression in Pakistan is under threat, as the 2025 Freedom Network report reveals increased arrests, censorship, and legal restrictions following amendments to PECA, posing serious risks to journalists and democratic values.

Dawn urges Indian media to abandon war rhetoric

 April 30, 2025:  Dawn has criticized the Indian media's calls for war and condemned the banning of 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, urging a rational response after the Pahalgam attack that left 26 dead.

India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels following Pahalgan attack

 April 28, 2025:  India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets and individual journalists, following the deadly Pahalgam attack. Tensions escalate as Islamabad demands a neutral probe.

Coordinated or coincidence? Identical tweets by Pakistani journalists raise eyebrows

 April 23, 2025:  Pakistani journalists respond in unison to a post hinting at a possible Indian military strike. Citing the 2019 ‘Swift Retort,’ they warn of a stronger response if provoked again.

Sher Afzal Marwat launches personal attacks on journalists after PTI expulsion

 April 21, 2025:  After being expelled from PTI, MNA Sher Afzal Marwat launches personal attacks on journalists and Aleema Khan, sparking outrage on social media over his offensive remarks.

Journalist Sanaullah Khan alleges FIA blocking accounts of YouTubers and families

 April 21, 2025:  Journalist Sanaullah Khan reveals that the FIA has launched a financial crackdown on YouTubers by freezing the bank accounts of journalists and their family members—raising serious concerns over freedom of expression and legal process.

A launch in style: Dr. Nauman Niaz unveils 'In A Different Realm'

 April 20, 2025:  Dr. Nauman Niaz launched his fifteenth book, In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple and Triple Centuries 1876–2025, at an elegant Islamabad event, reflecting on cricket’s rarest feats and his journey as a scholar of the game.

Sindhi journalist AD Shar brutally murdered, PFUJ declares three-day mourning

 April 11, 2025:  Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.