LOS ANGELES (June 7, 2016) -- SAG-AFTRA mourns the tragic loss of member and NPR photojournalist David Gilkey and NPR’s Afghan interpreter Zabihullah Tamanna, who were killed by extremists in Afghanistan Sunday.
Gilkey and Tamanna were on assignment with the Afghan army Sunday when they came under fire and were killed. They were traveling with NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Monika Evstatieva who were traveling in a separate vehicle and were not harmed.
“David Gilkey was one of the most gifted photojournalists of his generation and his work brought the eyes of the world into every country he worked in, from Afghanistan to Iraq, and from Haiti to South Africa, where his images helped capture the fall of apartheid,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “It’s heartbreaking when we lose one of our own, and our thoughts go out to the families, friends and colleagues of David and his interpreter Zabihullah Tamanna, who left behind a wife and three young children.”
SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White said, “We are deeply saddened by this senseless loss, and extend our deepest condolences to David and Zabihullah’s loved ones. It’s an honor for SAG-AFTRA to represent the working journalists and media professionals at NPR who do some of the most challenging work in their field in conflict zones around the world. Their courage and devotion to getting the story helps us all be informed citizens. This devastating loss reminds us that this commitment can come at a steep cost.”
Last year, 73 journalists were killed worldwide, from Pakistan to Mexico to the United States, often just for doing their jobs. SAG-AFTRA is proud to represent NPR journalists, as well as those from many other news organizations, who put their lives on the line to keep the public informed about the human toll of conflict, expose abuses and atrocities, and hold the powerful accountable.