AFP journalists among media honoured at Doha Forum

AFP journalists Christina Assi and Dylan Collins were among six media personnel honoured at the Doha Forum for political dialogue on Saturday for their sacrifices reporting from conflict zones.

Assi and Collins were wounded while reporting in Lebanon over a year ago, and received awards alongside Al Jazeera journalists Wael al-Dahdouh and Carmen Joukhadar, Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza and Afghan radio journalist Sadaf Popalzai.

"I felt like there's a need to keep speaking up, sharing our story, for me, for us, for Issam and all our colleagues who been targeted this year," Assi said of slain Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah.

He was killed in the same incident that wounded Assi and Collins on October 13, 2023, as they were covering cross-border clashes between the Israeli army and armed groups in southern Lebanon.

An in-depth AFP investigation found that a tank round fired by an Israeli unit killed Abdallah and wounded the six other journalists on the scene, including Assi, Collins and Joukhadar.

Assi had to have her right leg amputated.

"I'm still in a wheelchair, and I still need another year to start walking. However, I just can't wait for that day because that's how we will get back our justice," Assi said.

"You keep fighting until the day you actually stand up, hold your camera and do what you love, because that's our duty, and that's our job," she added.

Collins was wounded that day soon after suffering an injury in Ukraine.

"I lost several friends in Ukraine. I lost several friends in Gaza. I lost friends in Lebanon. I think sadly, it's never been more more dangerous of a time to be a journalist," he said.

"We've watched... this label of press on our chest. It's supposed to protect us, and it's sadly turned us into a into a target."

Funds from the prize, awarded by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, were to be donated to the Rory Peck Trust, a non-profit organisation supporting freelance journalists.