Parents of Danish Siddiqui, Reuters photographer shot by Taliban, move UN court
NEW DELHI: MARCH. 22 – The family of Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian photographer who was killed in Afghanistan last year, on Tuesday filed a formal complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICJ) to investigate his killing and bring to trial the Taliban’s top leadership for “committing war crimes,” their lawyer Avi Singh said on Tuesday.
Siddiqui, 38, a Reuters photographer, was sent to Afghanistan to cover the Taliban take over of the war-torn country when he was killed on July 16 last year in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar city.
Addressing a press conference, Singh said the formal complaint has been sent and filed against Taliban commanders, including the acting prime minister of Afghanistan Mohammad Hassan Akhund and acting first deputy prime minister Abdul Ghani Baradar. Singh said they will also be seeking help from the Indian government in the matter.
“The Taliban targeted and killed Danish because he was a journalist and an Indian. That is an international crime. In the absence of rule of law in Afghanistan, the ICC has jurisdiction to investigate and try the perpetrators of Danish’s murder,” said Singh.
In a statement, Siddiqui’s family said, “On 16 July 2021, Danish Siddiqui…was taken to a mosque, historically a place of refuge, for medical treatment. The mosque was attacked by the Taliban, and Danish was taken into custody, tortured and murdered. Reports say that he was attacked by the Red Unit of the Taliban.
After his killing, his body was mutilated, including being run over by a heavy vehicle in public. His body revealed marks of brutal torture and 12 bullet entry and exit points. These were received after his capture, as his bulletproof jacket has no bullet marks. From multiple accounts, it is clear he was tortured and killed because he was a journalist and an Indian.”
Press Release from Danish Siddiqui's Family regarding filing ICC petition pic.twitter.com/Ul66rvdyvO
— Danish Siddiqui (@dansiddiqui) March 22, 2022
Siddiqui’s mother Shahida Akhtar said he was murdered by the Taliban for “simply carrying out his journalistic duties”.
“Danish always stood for honesty and integrity in his work. He always showcased the pain and suffering of the people. He was brave and courageous all along,” she said.
His father Akhtar Siddiqui said, “We hope the world will also take notice of the extreme challenges and threats journalists face in reporting from conflict zones. While our son will not come back, our petition will ease our grief in the hope that someday justice will be done.”
Last year, a Taliban spokesperson had denied that Siddiqui was killed by the group and that his body was mutilated in their custody.
Singh said the complaint seeks to bring to book at least six high-ranking Taliban leaders and high-level commanders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He said the complaint has been sent to ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan and its Victims and Witnesses Unit on behalf of Siddiqui’s parents.
Siddiqui and his colleagues were honoured with the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for what the judges called “shocking photographs that exposed the world to the violence Rohingya refugees faced in fleeing Myanmar.”
-Hindustan Times
