A freelance photographer for The Associated Press (AP) won an award for his photo of a naked, mutilated woman who was murdered by Islamic terror group Hamas.
The AP and Ali Mahmud received first place in the “Team Picture Story of the Year” contest for his photo of the deceased Shani Louk, according to the contest’s website. Louk was shown half-naked in the hands of Hamas terrorists on the back of a truck before they drove away with her body during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks against Israel.
The family of Shani Louk asked the world to honor her memory by only sharing photos of her smiling.
Instead, the Associated Press have been profiting off an image of her mutilated body.
The AP photo of Hamas sitting on her mutilated body in the back of a pick up truck has… pic.twitter.com/TVHY10orv7
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) March 29, 2024
The category Mahmud won in the “Pictures of the Year” program “recognizes the collaborative effort of a photography staff covering a single topic or news story,” according to the contest’s website. Winning photos capture “a narrative picture story that consists of images taken as part of a team effort to cover a single issue or news story.” Shani Louk’s name is included in the caption on the website. (RELATED: ‘Hard Disagree’: Dem Senator Hits Back At Kamala Harris’ Remarks On Israel)
“Pictures of the Year” also posted the winning photo on Instagram, according to The Jerusalem Post. They reportedly received criticism online for doing so. The account appears to have deleted the post.
Photographers for the AP have already been rebuked for their alleged ties to Hamas, Ynet reported. The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) reportedly sued the AP on behalf of survivors of the terror attack, saying the outlet “knew, or at the very least should have known” that some of its freelance photographers allegedly “participated in the October 7 massacre.”
The Israeli government confirmed Louk’s death on Oct. 30, three weeks following the kidnapping of the German-Israeli. Louk’s mother, Ricarda, also confirmed her daughter’s death to German media after previously expressing hope that she was still alive, the BBC reported.