France 2
January 11, 2012, in Homs, Syria
Jacquier, 43, a journalist for the French public broadcaster France2, was among eight people killed by hostile fire while covering a pro-regime rally in Homs, news
reports said. Jacquier was the third journalist killed in Syria during the uprising that began 10 months earlier.
The exact circumstances of the attack were unclear. An Agence France-Presse photographer who witnessed the attack told AFP that the group was struck by a mortar shell; other news accounts attributed the attack to rocket-propelled grenades.
Jacquier's employer confirmed his death in a statement on its website. France2 said that Jacquier was with a cameraman, Christophe Kenck, who was wounded in the attack. Dutch journalist Steven Wassenaar was also injured, according to news reports.
Foreign journalists have largely been banned from Syria since March 2011, with only a few journalists given permission to enter the country. Jacquier was among a group of 12 journalists invited on a government-authorized trip to Homs, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency, or SANA.
No group immediately took responsibility for the attack. SANA cited the Ministry of Information as saying the attack was carried out by an armed terrorist group. The government routinely blamed killings and unrest on armed terrorist groups, although it did not provide evidence to support the claims.
Jacquier was a prominent award-winning correspondent who had worked in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Tunisia, among other hot spots. He was the first international journalist killed in Syrian uprising. CPJ documented the deaths of two Syrian journalists killed in relation to their work in the previous three months. In November, cameraman Ferzat Jerban was found in Homs with his eyes gouged out. Basil al-Sayed, a videographer, was shot in the head at a Homs checkpoint in late December.Medium: Television
Job: Broadcast Reporter
Beats Covered: Human Rights, Politics
Gender: Male
Local or Foreign: Foreign
Freelance: No
Type of Death: Dangerous Assignment
Suspected Source of Fire: Unknown Fire
Related Articles:
- Jacquier's killing raises chilling questions on Syria, January 13, 2012
- French reporter first foreign journalist killed in Syria, January 11, 2012
