U.S., French journalists killed in Syria
- 12 years ago
An activist in Homs points towards two bodies which he says are Western journalists killed during shelling, and says three other foreign journalists have been wounded.
Reuters cannot independently verify the content of this video, which has been obtained from a social media website.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said the dead journalists are Marie Colvin - an American working for Britain's Sunday Times - and French photographer Remi Ochlik.
Both journalists were veteran correspondents of conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Speaking from Paris, the French Foreign Minister called the killing a "murder".
(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER ALAIN JUPPE SAYING:
"I would like to express my condolences to the families, namely to that of the French journalist. I will try to know exactly what the conditions of this murder were -- in any case of this death. It's another demonstration of the degradation of the situation in Syria and of a repression that is more and more intolerable. I hope that Friday at the Friends of Syria meeting in Tunis we will be able to move towards a peaceful solution of the situation."
Colvin was a fearless reporter who lost an eye to shrapnel whilst working in Sri Lanka in 2001, and consequently wore a black eye patch when appearing in public.
On Tuesday she gave the following phone report to Britain's ITN news:
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SUNDAY TIMES REPORTER MARIE COLVIN SAYING (AUDIO UNDERLAID):
"The Syrians are not allowing anyone to leave, anyone who gets on the street, if they're not hit by a shell they are sniped; there are snipers all around Baba Amro. I think the sickening things is the completely merciless nature, they are hitting civilian buildings absolutely mercilessly and without caring and the scale of it is just shocking."
Ochlik first covered conflict in Haiti at the age of 20, and recently photographed the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.
The Syrian conflict is especially dangerous for journalists to cover as opposition forces are for the most part bottled up in enclaves, which can only be reached by hazardous journeys.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
Reuters cannot independently verify the content of this video, which has been obtained from a social media website.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said the dead journalists are Marie Colvin - an American working for Britain's Sunday Times - and French photographer Remi Ochlik.
Both journalists were veteran correspondents of conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Speaking from Paris, the French Foreign Minister called the killing a "murder".
(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER ALAIN JUPPE SAYING:
"I would like to express my condolences to the families, namely to that of the French journalist. I will try to know exactly what the conditions of this murder were -- in any case of this death. It's another demonstration of the degradation of the situation in Syria and of a repression that is more and more intolerable. I hope that Friday at the Friends of Syria meeting in Tunis we will be able to move towards a peaceful solution of the situation."
Colvin was a fearless reporter who lost an eye to shrapnel whilst working in Sri Lanka in 2001, and consequently wore a black eye patch when appearing in public.
On Tuesday she gave the following phone report to Britain's ITN news:
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SUNDAY TIMES REPORTER MARIE COLVIN SAYING (AUDIO UNDERLAID):
"The Syrians are not allowing anyone to leave, anyone who gets on the street, if they're not hit by a shell they are sniped; there are snipers all around Baba Amro. I think the sickening things is the completely merciless nature, they are hitting civilian buildings absolutely mercilessly and without caring and the scale of it is just shocking."
Ochlik first covered conflict in Haiti at the age of 20, and recently photographed the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.
The Syrian conflict is especially dangerous for journalists to cover as opposition forces are for the most part bottled up in enclaves, which can only be reached by hazardous journeys.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.