Photojournalist Danish Siddiqui's family to take legal action against Taliban, move International Criminal Court
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist was covering clashes between Afghan troops and the Taliban in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar city when he was murdered.
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New Delhi, Mar 22: Parents of Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui will move the International Criminal Court against the Taliban over Siddique’s death in Afghanistan last year. He was killed when covered a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar city last July.
"On Tuesday, 22nd March, 2022, Danish Siddiqui's parents, Akhtar Siddiqui and Shahida Akhtar will initiate legal action to investigate his killing and bring those responsible, including high level commanders and leaders of the Taliban, to justice," the family said in an official statement.
The parents have stated the killing as "war crime" and "a crime against humanity". The statement further said, "On 16th July, 2021, Pulitzer award-winning Indian photojournalist Danish Siddique was illegally detained, tortured, and killed by the Taliban, and his body was mutilated. These acts and this killing constitute not only a murder but a crime against humanity and a war crime.
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"This was not an isolated incident. The Taliban's military code of conduct, published as the Layha, has a policy of attacking civilians, including journalists. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documented over 70,000 civilian casualties attributed to the Taliban," it added.
Danish headed the multimedia team for Reuters in India, and was embedded with the Afghan forces for assignment.
