I’ve had some questions about my profile pic. I keep it up because it’s a case that doesn’t get nearly enough attention - that of Christopher Allen, a dual US/UK national & young freelance journalist who was killed reporting on the civil conflict in South Sudan on 26 August 2017.
Chris was one of 10 journalists killed with impunity during the civil conflict that broke out in December 2013. A unity government was finally formed and the conflict is considered to have ended this past February - but still nothing has been done to address the lasting impunity.
But responsibility does not stop with the South Sudanese. Chris’ own governments - the US and UK - have done shamefully little in more than 3 years. The UN system has also failed. And because Chris was a freelancer, there was no big media outlet to step in and help his family.
Chris’ grieving family were left largely on their own to not only deal with logistics (getting his corpse out of the country and paying privately for an autopsy), but to demand truth & justice. 3 years on, they’re still seeking even basic information, and justice remains elusive.
I wasn’t introduced to the family until more than a year after Chris’ killing, but @RSF_inter has been working to support their fight for truth and justice ever since. I promised them I’d do everything I could to help, and I still am. But no progress in this case is coming easy.
.@DoughtyStPublic and @HowardKennedy have taken up the legal case. We believe war crimes were committed in the targeting of Chris & the treatment of his body after he was killed. As horrific as this is, it is incredibly difficult to get anyone in any position to act to even care.
The vast international indifference can be demoralising to me as a campaigner, but it’s devastating to his family. They deserve better. They deserve answers and justice, and support from their own governments - not to mention action to ensure this can’t happen to anyone else.
I don’t have a big call to action just now, but that will come. For now, simply informing yourselves and showing solidarity will go a long way. I’ll post some links below. Thank you at the very least for reading this far - and caring even in this small way about #JusticeforChris.
Here’s a recording from an event we held to mark three years since Christopher Allen’s killing in August - the first time Chris’ mother Joyce Krajian spoke at an event like this, and the first time UN Special Rapporteur @AgnesCallamard spoke on the case.
Here’s a piece Christopher Allen’s parents Joyce Krajian and John Allen published in @myfairobserver at the three-year mark - the first time they’ve written about what happened to their son. fairobserver.com/culture/joyce-…
Here’s a piece Christopher Allen’s cousin @jeremybliss wrote for @Telegraph at the three-year mark, particularly highlighting the UK’s failings. telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/2…
Here’s the most heartbreaking, personal profile of Christopher Allen I’ve read yet, written by his former editor and close family friend Samuel Hughes at @PennGazette. It’s so important we remember the humanity at stake in every case we take up. thepenngazette.com/a-death-in-sou…
Here’s a long read by @charlottealfred exploring how the system - the media and the international community - lets down freelancers like Christopher Allen. m.huffpost.com/us/feature/chr…
For more details on what happened to Christopher Allen, read the excellent earlier reporting by @SimonaFoltyn and @sammednick. In the continued absence of any official investigation, their journalistic work has served as crucial evidence in the family’s legal case.

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More from @rebecca_vincent

21 Sep
Week three, Julian Assange’s US extradition hearing. A new thread.

#FreeAssange 1/
It’s now Day 10 of proceedings at the Old Bailey in London. Campaigns Officer @AustinPatrickC is currently in court monitoring in person for @RSF_inter. I’ll be back in court myself tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s my recap from last week.
Some exciting news: thanks to your support, signatures on @RSF_inter’s #FreeAssange petition have more than doubled since the hearing began. Please keep signing & sharing, and we’ll take the petition back to @10DowningStreet along with @StellaMoris1 when proceedings conclude. 3/
Read 60 tweets
14 Sep
Good morning from week two of Julian Assange’s US extradition hearing at the Old Bailey in London! Will share this week’s observations in this new thread.

#FreeAssange 1/
I’m not at court this morning, but have a colleague holding my place so I can hopefully monitor this afternoon’s sitting. He was told 3 of the 5 public gallery places are still being held for these mysterious no-show “VIPs”, meaning only 2 are currently occupied. Ridiculous. 2/
After last week’s Covid scare, witness testimony has resumed with Eric Lewis testifying this morning. Would love to be able to watch remotely, but @RSF_inter & all other NGOs had their access to the video link revoked last week. Back later - hopefully having gotten into court! 3/
Read 16 tweets
10 Sep
Good morning from Day 4 of Julian Assange’s US extradition hearing at the Old Bailey! Will share today’s updates on this thread.

#FreeAssange 1/
Waiting outside the public gallery entrance with activists @deepa_driver and Moritz Müller, who have been queuing since the early hours to gain access. So grateful for @rubio49158845, who kindly gave me his seat again 🙏 2/ Image
We *should* be getting in this morning, but have been told the public won’t be admitted until 11:30 - we’re not sure why. Only three of us will be allowed into the public gallery, which means they’re still saving spaces for the mysterious “VIPs” who have still yet to show up. 3/
Read 11 tweets
9 Sep
On the way back to the Old Bailey this morning to try again to monitor the US extradition hearing in the case of @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange. The court has severely restricted NGO access, so it is very uncertain whether my @RSF_inter colleague @cmihr & I will get in. 1/
The court has refused to recognise or accommodate the role of professional NGO observers, so we are left to compete for spaces in the public gallery, which has been limited to 2 to 5 people, despite the fact that there are 36 seats in that part of the overflow courtroom alone. 2/
On day 1, we finally got in due to the intervention of the German embassy & political observers. On day 2, I was able to monitor the afternoon session thanks to the kindness of an activist who had queued for hours & gave me his seat so we could tell the world what’s happening. 3/
Read 15 tweets
8 Sep
Some observations on Julian Assange’s extradition hearing so far, after a very hectic start (and a very long day!) yesterday.

Thread👇

#FreeAssange 1/
Yesterday morning, @StellaMoris1, @cmihr and I attempted to deliver @RSF_inter’s petition with more than 80,000 signatures calling on the UK authorities not to extradite Julian Assange. @10DowningStreet refused to accept it. 2/
Instead we brought our banner with the 80,000 signatures to the Old Bailey court, where we also addressed the @DEAcampaign protest. We reiterated our call for Julian Assange to be released, for the charges against him to be dropped, and for him not to be extradited to the US. 3/
Read 11 tweets
14 Aug
As I’m on leave, my colleague @katifallon_ tried to attend this morning’s hearing in Julian Assange’s case for @RSF_inter. However, only 4 people were allowed into the public gallery, so she (6th in line) was turned away. I’m now attempting to monitor on the phone. #FreeAssange
It seems only five journalists were allowed into the courtroom. The rest of us (press + NGO observers) are stuck on the conference call system that has proven completely unfit for purpose since lockdown began. https://t.co/YpZL7QgqJN
Good recap of this morning’s issues with the Assange hearing. Would be almost comical if it didn’t have such worrying implications for due process and open justice.
Read 6 tweets

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