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May 08, 2024 – Sudan –
26-year-old photojournalist Christopher Allen, a dual British–American citizen, was shot dead while covering conflict in Kaya, South Sudan, near the Uganda border. Distressingly, images of his disrobed and desecrated body circulated online shortly afterward—a harrowing example of the tragedies journalists face in war zones. Despite public outcry, the exact details surrounding his death and post-mortem treatment remain contested.
After years of calls for truth and accountability from his family, international lawyers, RSF, and the UN, a South Sudanese inquiry committee finally published a 19-page report in March 2024—seven years after Allen’s death. His parents—Joyce Krajian and John Allen—noted they learned of both the inquiry and its findings through social media, rather than through direct notification, signaling blatant disregard for their involvement.
The committee concluded Allen died amid crossfire, a characterization his family and legal team reject. They argue this explanation ignores critical evidence: trophy-style photos, signs of intentional corpse mutilation, and medical reports suggesting he may have been deliberately targeted. The family’s legal counsel described the inquiry as a “deeply flawed” and “rigorous whitewash,” failing to investigate possible war crimes or question military officials responsible for his death.
RSF condemned the inquiry, stating it fell far short of international standards for transparency and independence. The organization has urged both the UK and US governments to demand a credible, impartial investigation and accountability for Allen’s killers . Correspondents from the UK’s House of Lords called the inquiry a whitewash and highlighted that 80% of journalist murders globally go unpunished—a dire precedent that endangers foreign correspondents.
Despite diplomatic lobbying between 2019 and 2020 by both governments and a private autopsy suggesting deliberate targeting, no comprehensive investigation has taken place. The family’s repeated appeals—from the FBI to the UN’s special rapporteur—have largely been ignored, deepening the anguish of a case that AL recognizes as emblematic of the broader global issue of impunity in journalist murders
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