Three Years On, No Accountability for Journalist’s Dying
Three years in the past right this moment, we suffered probably the most painful expertise a household can endure. Our son Christopher Allen was murdered on the opposite facet of the world, reporting on the civil battle in South Sudan. A contract journalist and twin US-UK citizen, Chris was solely 26 years previous and had a vivid future forward of him — a future that was taken from him, from us and from these whose tales he was so intent on telling the world.
On August 26, 2017, our lives modified irrevocably. Now, the pursuit of justice for Chris would turn into a central a part of our existence. Our hearts had been damaged and, along with experiencing insurmountable grief, we discovered our household dealing with an uphill battle not solely with the South Sudanese but in addition with Chris’ personal governments in Washington and London, in addition to with the United Nations.
No Justice
These are the very democratic establishments that are supposed to shield journalists and press freedom, that are supposed to battle injustice and guarantee accountability for unspeakable crimes. But they’ve did not act meaningfully to help us or assist safe justice for Chris’ killing. The whole lot that’s meant to be set into movement when a tragedy like this happens merely didn’t occur — a minimum of not and not using a battle from our facet. Now, three years on, there has nonetheless been no investigation and no justice. We nonetheless lack even fundamental solutions about what occurred to Chris.
Chris developed his craft as a journalist in Ukraine, the place he lived and labored from April 2014 and from there launched into a brand new problem. In August 2017, he traveled to South Sudan to cowl the nation’s under-reported civil warfare, embedding with the SPLA-IO, a insurgent faction making an attempt to overthrow the established authorities in Juba.
Chris had embedded with the troopers for greater than three weeks, listening to the tales of their lives, their losses, motivations and fears earlier than being focused by authorities forces throughout a battle in Kaya, close to South Sudan’s border with Uganda. We spoke with Chris the night time earlier than he was killed. The corporate was shifting out that night to stroll by means of miles of bush to seize munition provides.
We urged Chris to not go, to jot down a chunk that lined the embed up to now, to share together with his readers the ache the households of those males suffered on the hand of these in energy. However he insisted that the story of getting ready for battle was incomplete. Chris’ dedication to his journalism was absolute — he felt he should bear witness to the battle. He mentioned to us that he “needed to see it by means of.” Our son regarded for the reality in any respect prices.
As his dad and mom, it’s daunting and painful to recount this. Simply as Chris sought the reality of the tragedies and difficulties of others, we now have been working to determine the reality of the circumstances of his killing day-after-day for 3 full years. But the very governments and establishments whose obligation it’s to assist us discover the reality have did not help us at each key juncture over the previous three years.
Primarily based on proof uncovered by means of journalistic investigations within the absence of any official inquiry, we all know that Chris was killed by a member of the South Sudanese armed forces and that his killing and the therapy of his physique autopsy are prone to represent warfare crimes. With help from a authorized crew in addition to campaigners at Reporters With out Borders, we now have tenaciously sought an unbiased prison investigation from the South Sudanese and US authorities.
We Should See This Via
In our deep want to safe justice and accountability for the wrongful killing of our son, a civilian and journalist armed solely with a digital camera, and to remind states that they can’t suppress press freedom by killing journalists with impunity, we are going to proceed to demand a significant investigation and justice. Like Chris, we should see this by means of.
Regardless of our intense efforts, the US and UK governments and the United Nations have nonetheless did not act meaningfully to assist us discover solutions or justice, and in some instances haven’t responded in any respect. That is in sharp distinction to their publicly acknowledged commitments to freedom of expression. The lesson we now have discovered over these previous three painful years is that too typically, these our bodies can’t be taken at their phrase, and should very actively be held to account.
We persevere in our battle for justice not just for our son, however for all journalists taking super dangers to get out the reality from harmful locations world wide. Each case of impunity leaves the door open for additional assaults on journalists and emboldens those that want to use violence to silence public curiosity reporting. In distinction, each case wherein justice is achieved sends a robust sign that violence in opposition to journalists is not going to be tolerated anyplace and that those that commit such atrocious acts pays the value. This, in flip, serves to discourage violence and shield journalists in every single place.
We ask {that a} vivid mild be shed on the circumstance of Christopher’s killing. We name on governments and establishments to carry the South Sudanese army accountable for the wrongful loss of life of our son. A clear investigation is step one. Accountability and justice for Chris should comply with. By demanding accountability for our son’s killing, we hope to create a safer world for journalists and bolster press freedom in every single place.
We should see this by means of.
*[Joyce Krajian and John Allen are the parents of Christopher Allen.]
The views expressed on this article are the writer’s personal and don’t essentially mirror Truthful Observer’s editorial coverage.
