Hafyana, a photographer for the independent Fassato News
Agency, was hit by
shrapnel when members of a militia opened fire on a crowd of protesters in
Tripoli, according to Fassato. The
demonstrators were protesting against the presence of militias in the capital,
according to news reports.
Nouri Karewah, founder and manager of Fassato News
Agency, told CPJ that Hafyana usually covered social events at Nafousa mountain area, 120
miles north of Tripoli. He took photos for lectures, government events, and
social gatherings, and regularly filmed demonstrations inside Tripoli.
Karewah told CPJ that
Hafayana called him more than 10 times that day to report on the protests. Then,
he said, another individual answered Hafayana’s phone and said the journalist
had been taken to Abu Selim hospital. Hafayana died shortly after, according
to Fassato and Karewah.
Hafayana is the first journalist to
be killed for his work in Libya since 2011, according to CPJ research.