The Guardian: Were Marie Colvin and journalists deliberately targeted by Syria's army?
Nicolas Sarkozy has said the journalists in Homs were 'assassinated'. Here, Peter Beaumont assesses the evidence
Following the deaths of Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times and Remi Ochlik, a freelance French photographer, there have been claims that they were deliberately targeted, including an allegation by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, that they were "assassinated" in an attack that injured several other journalists.
What is the evidence that they were deliberately fired on?
Most of the evidence of a deliberate attack comes from French journalist Jean-Pierre Perrin, who was also in the Homs suburb of Bab Amr. He described in Liberation how the house being used as a press centre had been "evacuated" after being targeted before. According to Perrin, evidence of this was also visible in the fact that its satellite antenna had been hit many times by snipers. He also described how the journalists in the city were warned several days before the fatal incident that they would be killed if they were caught, as well as suspicions that their communications may have been intercepted and their reports read by the regime.
In a separate interview, Perrin also told the Telegraph: "A few days ago we were advised to leave the city urgently and we were told: 'If they [the Syrian army] find you, they will kill you'. I then left the city with [Colvin] but she wanted to go back when she saw that the major offensive had not yet taken place." He added his view that the Syrians were "fully aware" that the press centre was broadcasting direct evidence of crimes against humanity, including the murdering of women and children.
Is there any other evidence that the regime is targeting those involved in telling the story in Homs?
As well as Colvin and Remi, a prominent citizen journalist, Rami al-Sayyed, was also killed the day before. In addition, a group of activists trained by the organisation Avaaz, including several medical volunteers attempting to reach the press centre and two other citizen journalists, were found executed with their hands tied near Bab Amr after trying to reach the injured and dead reporters.
more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/feb/23/marie-colvin-journalists-targeted-syria
Syria's Citizen journalists: 'We expected to be killed'
The death of Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin sparked fresh outrage at the bloodshed in Homs. But what about the unofficial journalists dying to tell their story? Channel 4 News takes a look.
In one of Rami al-Sayed's very recent video messages, he said: "The situation in Baba Amr is catastrophic - we are being treated as if we are not humans." In another, he simply stated: "We expect to be killed any minute."
It is a grim sentiment echoed by many of Syria's citizen journalists.
Al-Sayed, a 26-year-old father, was killed on the same day as Marie Colvin. He died trying to capture events in Baba Amr, the suburb of Homs at the centre of the bloodshed. It is believed he died from heavy bleeding after sustainnig shrapnel wounds. His last report spoke of bombardment from the air.
He said: "We woke up in the morning to the sound of indiscriminate bombs, mortars, rockets and aerial bombardment. This was especially in heavily-populated areas.
more: http://www.channel4.com/news/syrias-citizen-journalists-we-expect-to-be-killed
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