Lina Abu Akleh

Lina Abu Akleh (Arabic: لينا أبو عاقلة) is a Palestinian human rights advocate. As the niece of Shireen Abu Akleh,^[1][2] a journalist shot dead by Israeli forces in 2022, Lina Abu Akleh has campaigned for justice for her aunt, and for issues affecting Palestinians more generally.^[3] This has included petitioning the United States Government to open its own investigation into the death of her aunt, as well as meeting Secretary of State Antony Blinken.^[3] In October 2022 she met with Pope Francis at a memorial Mass for her aunt.^[4]

Lina Abu Akleh
لينا أبو عاقلة
Born	(1995-04-17) April 17, 1995 (age 30) Jerusalem, Israeli-occupied West Bank
Nationality	Palestinian
Citizenship	State of Palestine Armenia
Alma mater	American University of Beirut (BA in Political Studies) University of San Francisco (MA in International Studies)
Occupation	Human rights advocate
Years active	2022–present
Employer	Various human rights organizations
Organization	Advocacy groups for Palestinian rights
Known for	Advocacy for Palestinian human rights, seeking justice for Shireen Abu Akleh's killing, and international activism
Notable work	Testimony before the United Nations Human Rights Council Advocacy efforts with the U.S. Department of State Meeting with Pope Francis
Parents	Palestinian descent (father) Armenian descent (mother)
Relatives	Shireen Abu Akleh (aunt)
Awards	BBC 100 Women (2022) Time 100 Next (2022)

Abu Akleh was named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2022^[5][6] and she was also listed as one of the Time 100 Next List for 2022.^[7][5][8] Her inclusion on the Time 100 list was as a result of her "publicly demanding scrutiny of Israel's treatment of Palestinians".^[9]

Early life

Abu Akleh was to born to a Palestinian father and an Armenian mother. She grew up in Jerusalem.^[10] She has a BA in Political Studies from the American University of Beirut.^[1][11] Her MA is in International Studies and was awarded by the University of San Francisco.^[10]