AFP journalists Christina Assi and Dylan Collins, injured in Lebanon, carry the Olympic flame

"Itéwas incredible!": AFP photographer Christina Assi, seriously injured while reporting in October 2023 in Lebanon, carried& ;eacute; Sunday the Olympic flame à Vincennes (Val-de-Marne), accompanied by video journalist Dylan Collins, in tribute "à all journalists, à “our colleagues and friends killed this year,” she explained.

“It's incredible and it warms the heart to see all these people applauding after we survived a targeted attack as journalists,” confided the young Lebanese photojournalist in a wheelchair, after She and her American colleague Dylan Collins covered the 200 meters with the flame that they had to do in the streets of Vincennes.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Christina Assi carrying the Olympic flame (c) and video journalist Dylan Collins (g) in Vincennes, July 21, 2024 © AFP – Dimitar DILKOFF

“I hope that what we have done today honors all the journalists, our colleagues and friends who have been killed this year,” she added.

“I would have liked Issam (Abdallah, Reuters journalist killed in the attack, Editor's note), and all the colleagues we lost to be present today today to see this and I wish it hadn't taken such an attack to participate and represent the journalists,” she said, with tears in her eyes.

~. 60~p>About fifty AFP journalists were present on Sunday to encourage them, cheering them as they passed.

Christina Assi, 29, was the victim of a shell attack on October 13, 2023, while covering, with six other colleagues, cross-border clashes between the Israeli army and armed groups in southern Lebanon.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Christina Assi carrying the Olympic flame (c) accompanied by video journalist Dylan Collins in Vincennes, July 21, 2024 © AFP – Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV

The shell, fired by an Israeli tank according to an in-depth AFP investigation, killed the Reuters journalist and injured the six other journalists present, including Christina, who has since suffered an amputation of the right leg.

Dylan Collins, 36, was also injured that day. He had already been injured shortly before in the conflict in Ukraine.

The next step for Christina: “Focus on my rehabilitation, to stand up again: that's This is how I will get justice.”

“It was extremely moving to see Christina and Dylan carry the flame. Their courage in the face of unimaginable adversity is an eloquent expression of the Olympic spirit. Everyone “is very proud” of them, declared AFP news director Phil Chetwynd.

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