CPJ shares statement from Shireen Abu Akleh’s family 4 years after journalist’s murder

To mark the upcoming fourth anniversary of the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, on May 11, 2026, the Abu Akleh family issued a public statement today affirming that they “will not stop” pursuing “justice for Shireen through all available avenues.”

Abu Akleh was murdered while covering an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation in the West Bank town of Jenin on May 11, 2022, despite wearing a clearly marked press vest. Her killing is part of a wider pattern of journalist deaths by Israeli military fire in which no one has been held accountable.

Read the statement below:

Four years have passed since the Israeli killing of our beloved Shireen Abu Akleh, a dedicated journalist, a fearless truth-teller, and a voice for the voiceless. Yet, despite the passage of time, justice remains elusive.

Shireen was a Palestinian-American journalist who was deliberately targeted by an Israeli sniper while carrying out her professional duty, wearing a press vest, clearly identified as a journalist. Her killing was not only a tragic loss for our family, but also a grave attack on press freedom and the fundamental right to report the truth. 

Over the past four years, we have witnessed a persistent failure to hold those responsible accountable. No one has been brought to justice, neither for her killing nor for the attack on her funeral. This ongoing impunity sends a dangerous message that journalists can be targeted without consequence.

We have seen that pattern repeated in Gaza and Lebanon for more than two years now. At least 260 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel’s military since 2023. 

We are deeply disappointed by the lack of meaningful action from both the current and previous United States administrations. Shireen was a U.S. citizen and the government has so far failed to act on behalf of its own citizens. That status should have triggered a clear, forceful obligation from the U.S. government to pursue accountability with the same urgency it would for any American killed abroad. The lack of progress in the FBI investigation into Shireen’s killing further demonstrates the government’s failure to deliver justice.

Despite repeated calls for accountability and transparency, concrete measures have not been taken to ensure justice for Shireen. This lack of support has only compounded our pain and strengthened the culture of impunity.

Accountability is not only about justice for Shireen; it is about protecting journalists everywhere. Without accountability, the targeting of journalists will continue, and the truth itself will remain under threat.

As a family, we reaffirm today what we have said from the very beginning: “we will not stop”. We will continue to pursue justice for Shireen through all available avenues, until those responsible are held accountable. 

Shireen’s voice echoes through us as we resolve, again, to remember and carry forth her spirit and legacy, and to make our ceaseless demand for justice.

Justice for Shireen is justice for all.