Imad Ghanem, cameraman, Gaza
After 9 months of working as cameraman for Al-Aqsa TV, Imad Ghanem (27 year old) has lost his legs after being shot by the Israeli occupation forces during his coverage of their attack on Braij refugee camp in Gaza strip, on 5th July 2007.
In the context of International Day to End impunity Campaign, Imad reports his story to the Palestinian Center of Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), of how he became a photo after being a cameraman:
"during my coverage of the Israeli soldiers attack on Braij refugee Camp in Gaza, I took shots of terrible scenes for three people who were about shredded corpse, yet, I left the place with some Paramedics who were lifting one wounded person and I was documenting this with my Camera, during that I was shot by an Israeli bullet in my ankle, and I fell down. This was the moment where I turned from a cameraman into a photo!
At that time, I was terrified; as the Israelis intensified their bullets firing. 15 minutes later, I was targeted once again while I was lying on the ground right next to my Camera, 3 bullets hit me, I thought they were fragments of rockets with the pain they caused to me. I stayed on the ground for about 35 minutes, they were the hardest moments of my life, I saw death. Two days later, I woke up in the Intense Care Unit, the doctors have already done some surgeries to me, amputating my right leg right above my knee and my left leg right below the knee". Said Imad
Despite the attack against Imad was documented, and was shown in the video; the violators have not been held accountable.
This story is just one example out of hundreds of journalists who were attacked, arrested, investigated and even killed by the Israeli forces with Impunity. As in the last dedicate, the Israeli forces killed 22 journalists in Palestine. And in all cases the violators have not been held accountable.
Holding the aggressors accountable is a prerequisite to end freedom of speech crimes. Demand the United Nation for Human Rights office, to protect the Palestinian journalists and hold the Israeli forces accountable for their continuous violations against the freedom of speech, by tweeting on their official account on Twitter.
Suggestion:We demand you to protect the Palestinian journalist from Israeli violations, and to hold the freedom of speech perpetrators.
accountable. #IDEI @Unrightswire
