Journalists Killed in 2004 - Motive Confirmed: Simon Cumbers
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | January 2005 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 2004 - Motive Confirmed: Simon Cumbers, January 2005, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e6495c123.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
BBC
June 6, 2004, in Al-Suwadi, Saudi Arabia
BBC cameraman Cumbers, 36, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, 42, was critically injured in the attack.
Cumbers, an Irish freelance cameraman on assignment for the BBC, was with Gardner and a Saudi government minder as he filmed a house belonging to an al-Qaeda militant killed by Saudi police in 2003, according to the BBC. "A jeep, or jeep-like vehicle, drove up and somebody fired at the two Westerners with a machine pistol, with deadly consequences," said Sherard Cowper-Coles, the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as quoted by the BBC.
Al-Suwadi is regarded as a stronghold for religious extremists in Saudi Arabia.
| Medium: | Television |
| Job: | Camera Operator |
| Beats Covered: | Politics |
| Gender: | Male |
| Local or Foreign: | Foreign |
| Freelance: | Yes |
| Type of Death: | Murder |
| Suspected Source of Fire: | Political Group |
| Impunity: | Yes |
| Taken Captive: | No |
| Tortured: | No |
| Threatened: | No |