Months of campaigning by the family of the British journalist and filmmaker shot dead by Israeli troops has finally paid off.
The Israeli Government has announced that a military police investigation is now under way into the death of James Miller, who was killed while filming in the Gaza Strip in May. He was working on a documentary examining the effects of the ArabIsraeli conflict on children.
Miller’s family and Channel 4 journalist Saira Shah, supported by international journalist bodies, British broadcasters and the Foreign Office, have campaigned for action.
The family and supporters have always called for a “full criminal investigation” that would call both civilian and military witnesses, rather than just an inquiry led by the Israeli Defence Force.
In July, the advocate general ordered the requisition of all guns used in the shooting so that ballistic tests could be performed, but the family still awaits a full explanation into the death.
Miller’s elder brother, James, said: “Although we have always expected a military police investigation, there is still no news of when the IDF report into James’s death will be published, or the results of the ballistics tests on the guns that killed James.” “We are calling on the Israelis to let us know when the IDF report will be published and demand a criminal investigation. “There is compelling evidence from eyewitness accounts and independent ballistics experts that James was deliberately targeted by the IDF. This was an unlawful killing and we need to get justice for James.”
Supporters have launched a website to document the progress of their campaign for a criminal investigation – www.justice4jamesmiller.com.
By Wale Azeez
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