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Family of photojournalist murdered in Libya call on the United Nations Human Rights Council to act in his case

Ten years on, a call for justice for the murder of photojournalist Anton Hammerl #JusticeforAnton.

London – Geneva: The widow of photojournalist Anton Hammerl, Penny Sukhraj-Hammerl, is appealing to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to act to secure justice for his murder in Libya in 2011, after a decade with no action, no answers, and no accountability for his death.

She is represented by an international counsel team from Doughty Street Chambers, Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, Tatyana Eatwell and Catherine Meredith.

Penny Sukhraj-Hammerl is supported in her campaign by leading media organisations, unions and NGOs, including the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, Justice for Journalists Foundation, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the James W Foley Legacy Foundation, Reporters without Borders (RSF), the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) and the Redress Trust.

To coincide with the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council, representatives from the International Federation of Journalists and South African National Editors’ Forum will join a virtual ‘side event’ later today, 15.00 – 16.00 CET/ SAST (14.00 – 15.00 BST), to raise awareness of Anton’s case and continuing impunity for crimes against journalists in Libya. The full line-up is:

  • Chair: Jeremy Dear, Deputy General Secretary, International Federation of Journalists 

  • Penny Sukhraj-Hammerl, widow of Anton Hammerl and journalist

  • Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East Editor

  • Sbu Ngalwa, Chair, South African National Editors’ Forum

  • Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, Doughty Street Chambers, legal counsel for Penny Sukhraj-Hammerl

  • Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Director, International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute and Member, High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom

The recording of the event is available here, and a press release with further details about Penny Sukhraj-Hammerl’s appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Council is available here.

Coverage of the case and more background is available:

  • Sunday Times South Africa/ Times Live, 28 June 2021, here

  • Newshour, BBC World Service, 27 June 2021, here (interview commences at minute 45)

  • Jason Rezaian, Washington Post, 5 April 2021, here

  • The Justice for Anton website, https://justiceforanton.com/