Dolega, 32, died from head injuries suffered while
covering the massive January 14 protests that led to the ouster of President
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The photographer was struck in the head by a tear gas
canister fired by security forces, according to news reports. He died “carrying
out his passion and his job,” his family said in a statement announcing his death.
Dolega began working for the European Pressphoto Agency in
2006, covering assignments as varied as armed conflict, arts, culture,
politics, and sports. He was dispatched to Tunisia to cover the burgeoning
civil unrest, EPA Deputy Editor-in-Chief Frank Bengfort told CPJ.
On its website, EPA published a collection of works
by Dolega, along with a remembrance of the photographer: “Lucas walked into our
Paris office in
April 2006. A young man who above all wanted to become a photojournalist, Lucas’
passion was the image. He was driven by his need to cover major conflicts. He
grew in those four years to become a thorough professional. And he did so with
a total sense of decency. Based in Paris, he also covered politics, protests,
and fashion in Europe. In 2008 he covered the situation in the Congo.”
Dolega believed that “the closer, the better,” EPA said. “His
last pictures, transmitted by his colleagues after his injury, make us proud,
as does his entire body of work.”