Friday, April 07, 2006
UK Jury Rules James Miller's Death "Murder"
A coroner's inquest has ruled that the killing of the film maker working on the project that became the HBO documentary Death in Gaza was intentional: (from Haaretz)
James Miller, 34, was shot in the neck by a soldier in the town of Rafah, along the Gaza-Egypt border, in May 2003 while filming a documentary about the impact of violence on children in the region.
The coroner, Andrew Reid, had instructed the 10-member inquest jury at King's Cross Coroner's Court that a verdict of unlawful killing was the only one they could reach. Reid had told the jury that Miller had either been murdered or was the victim of manslaughter, but that the law drew no distinction.
"Based on the evidence laid before us, we the jury unanimously agree it was unlawful shooting, with the intention to kill Mr. James Miller. We can come to no other conclusion than that Mr. Miller was indeed murdered," the jury said.
Miller's widow, Sophy, wept as the verdict was read.
The Israeli Embassy in London said it regretted Miller's death, but after a thorough and extensive investigation there was no basis for criminal proceedings, a spokeswoman said.
