Mazen Dana
Mazen Dana | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962 Hebron, CPJ International Press Freedom Award (2001) |
Mazen Dana (
Work in Hebron
Dana worked for Reuters for over ten years, mostly in his home town of Hebron in the West Bank. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Dana was wounded several times in the course of his journalism.[1] In May 2000, he was struck in the leg by an Israeli rubber bullet while filming Palestinian rock throwers.[1] In July of that year, he was beaten into unconsciousness by Jewish settlers that he was attempting to film and had his head slammed in an ambulance door by an Israeli policeman. In October of that year, he was shot again in the leg.[1]
By March 2003, Reuters had assigned Dana away from Hebron for his own safety. He told a reporter for
Shooting by US Army
On 17 August 2003, Dana was shot and killed by a
The journalists with Dana described the soldiers' actions as negligent and "crazy". They stated the soldiers had seen them half an hour before the shooting and must have been aware that they were not insurgents. France 2's Stephan Breitner stated that, "We were all there for at least half an hour. They knew we were journalists. After they shot Mazen, they aimed their guns at us. I don't think it was an accident."[5] A US Army spokesman called the incident "a terrible tragedy" and added, "I can assure you no one feels worse than the soldier who fired the shots."[5]
Reuters chief executive
The soldiers were cleared of any wrongdoing after a US Army investigation. The report stated that the incident was "tragic and regrettable", but that soldiers had had a "reasonable certainty" that Dana was about to fire on them. Reuters disputed the inquiry's conclusion, stating that the soldiers had failed to properly communicate.[4]
Family
Mazen Dana was married to Suzan Dana, with whom he had four children.[6][7]
Recognition
In 2001, Dana was the recipient of a
References
- ^ a b c d "Mazen Dana: 2001 Awardee". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2001. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- ^ "Cameraman Mazen Dana Killed In Iraq". Frontline. PBS. August 2003. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ a b c Sarah Lyall (19 August 2003). "Cameraman's Death Brings Demand for Public Inquiry". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ a b "U.S. Army report clears soldier who killed Reuters cameraman". USA Today. Associated Press. 22 March 2004. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d Jamie Wilson (19 August 2003). "US troops 'crazy' in killing of cameraman". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ Laura McClure (20 August 2003). "The "unconscionable" death of Mazen Dana". Salon. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- ^ "Families of six dead or missing journalists urge US Congress to act". International Freedom of Expression Exchange. 14 April 2004. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- ^ Sarah Lyall (18 August 2003). "Death of Journalist Killed by G.I.'s Prompts Calls for Inquiry". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 August 2012.