Current:Home > ContactFrance launches war crime investigation after reporter Arman Soldin killed in Ukraine -MoneyBase
France launches war crime investigation after reporter Arman Soldin killed in Ukraine
View
Date:2025-04-22 06:05:53
The French judiciary has launched a war crime investigation into the death of AFP reporter Arman Soldin who was killed in Ukraine, anti-terror prosecutors said Wednesday.
Soldin, 32, died when he and his AFP colleagues came under fire by Grad rockets on Tuesday while they were with Ukrainian troops near Chasiv Yar, in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. According to the AFP, other reporters with Soldin were not injured in the attack.
The French probe will be handled by the OCLCH, an investigating unit specializing in crimes against humanity and hate crimes, and will seek to determine the exact circumstances of Soldin's death, the prosecutors said.
His death brings to at least 11 the number of journalists, fixers or drivers for media teams killed since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago, according to advocacy groups.
This is the 7th investigation for war crimes in Ukraine involving French nationals since Feb 2022, CBS News' Elaine Cobbe reports. Two of them relate to attacks on journalists.
Soldin was a French national born in Sarajevo who began working for the AFP in 2015, first as an intern in the agency's Rome bureau before being hired in London. He was one of the first AFP journalists to be sent to Ukraine after Russia invaded the country in Feb. 2022. He had been living in Ukraine since Sept. 2022 and traveled regularly to the war's front lines.
The day before he died, Soldin tweeted a video of doctors in Ukraine working to stabilize an injured soldier. Other videos shared by Soldin show him on the front lines in the city of Bakhmut while it faced heavy shelling and reporting on the explosion of a vital bridge in the city.
A week ago, an animal rescue group praised Soldin and his team for helping rescue an injured hedgehog. Soldin and his team reportedly cared for the animal before setting it free. In a thread, Soldin described the animal's story as "unusually cute" and said that the hedgehog had been found in Chasiv Yar, which he called the "worst place possible." That area is where Soldin would later be killed.
Colleagues and officials have memorialized Soldin. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the administration's "hearts go out" to Soldin's family and loved ones. French president Emmanuel Macron said that Soldin worked to "establish the facts" and inform the public of the war, adding that the country shares "the pain of his loved ones and all his colleagues."
AFP photojournalist Daniel Leal shared a photo of himself and Soldin on Twitter, writing "Forever remembered. Forever loved."
Forever remembered. Forever loved. Arman Soldin. pic.twitter.com/DAG5U7IvpR
— Daniel Leal (@lealolivas) May 9, 2023
"The whole agency is devastated by the loss of Arman," AFP chairman Fabrice Fries said on Tuesday. "His death is a terrible reminder of the risks and dangers faced by journalists every day covering the conflict in Ukraine."
- In:
- Ukraine
- Russia
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Men's March Madness highlights: Thursday's Sweet 16 scores, best NCAA Tournament moments
- House Oversight chairman invites Biden to testify as GOP impeachment inquiry stalls
- Video shows first Neuralink brain chip patient playing chess by moving cursor with thoughts
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Top 2024 NFL Draft prospect Jayden Daniels' elbow is freaking the internet out
- ASTRO COIN:Bitcoin spot ETF approval process
- A woman went to the ER thinking she had a bone stuck in her throat. It was a nail piercing her artery.
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- March Madness games today: Everything to know about NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 schedule
Ranking
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Florida latest state to target squatters after DeSantis signs 'Property Rights' law
- Los Angeles Dodgers 'awesome' Opening Day win was exactly what Shohei Ohtani and Co. needed
- Are these killer whales actually two separate species? New research calls for distinction
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- ASTRO COIN:Us election, bitcoin to peak sprint
- Man in Scream-Like Mask Allegedly Killed Neighbor With Chainsaw and Knife in Pennsylvania
- The Hedge Fund Manager's Path to Financial Freedom in Retirement: An Interview with John Harrison
Recommendation
SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
ASTRO COIN:Bitcoin supply demand
Maine lawmakers to consider late ‘red flag’ proposal after state’s deadliest shooting
Jon Scheyer's Duke team must get down in the muck to stand a chance vs. Houston
Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
A woman went to the ER thinking she had a bone stuck in her throat. It was a nail piercing her artery.
Building a new Key Bridge could take years and cost at least $400 million, experts say
CLFCOIN proactively embraces regulation in the new era