Christina Aasi, a journalist for Agence France-Presse (AFP) who was seriously injured after being targeted by Israeli fire while performing her professional duties in the south a few months ago, will carry the Olympic torch on Sunday, July 21, in Vincennes, France, "in tribute to those who have fallen" while doing their work as journalists. Aasi stated, "Carrying the Olympic torch is an emotional experience, especially after surviving an attack while on a mission. My story is just one among many others during a year that claimed the lives of more than a hundred journalists."
Christina Aasi, 29 years old, was hit by an Israeli tank shell on October 13 while covering clashes on the southern border of Lebanon, alongside six other journalists. The same Israeli strike resulted in the martyrdom of Reuters photographer Issam Abdullah. Aasi will be accompanied while carrying the Olympic torch by her AFP colleague, American journalist Dylan Collins, who was also injured in an Israeli targeting on the same day.
Pierre Gali, head of sports at AFP, said in a statement: "When AFP was asked to carry the Olympic torch, we thought of Christina, whose courage and resilience are appreciated by everyone in the agency. For her to carry this torch, which symbolizes peace, means a lot to her and her colleagues who have been affected while carrying out their duties." Dylan Collins remarked, "It is an honor for me to carry the Olympic torch alongside my colleague Christina Aasi roughly a year after we were targeted by the Israeli army on the Lebanese border. Our survival is a miracle." Collins was also injured in July 2023 in a drone attack near Bakhmut, Ukraine.
Collins added, "We carry the torch in honor of all the friends and colleagues we have lost this year, and for all journalists who have been killed or injured while practicing their profession."
Lebanon's caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makari, stated via the platform "X": "We are proud of Christina Aasi's courage as she will carry the Olympic torch next Sunday with Dylan Collins accompanying her. Our pride matches our appreciation for the human and emotional significance of this initiative. Aasi's initiative is an opportunity to shed more light on Israel's transgressions against journalists."
