The body of a Sunday Times journalist killed in Syria has arrived in Paris after being flown from Damascus on board a French plane.
The French foreign ministry said the body of Marie Colvin, along with that of French photographer Remi Ochlik, arrived today.
Some reports have suggested Ms Colvin’s body will be repatriated to the US today or tomorrow. Mr Ochlik’s body will remain in France.
Syrian Red Crescent officials had handed over the bodies to embassy officials, with Polish diplomats taking the remains of American-born Ms Colvin following the closure of the US embassy in Damascus last month.
The bodies, in brown coffins placed on stretchers, were transferred outside the Assad hospital in Damascus and driven away in an ambulance. The journalists’ belongings were placed in black plastic bags.
Ms Colvin (56) and Mr Ochlik (28) died on February 22nd after being trapped inside the besieged Baba Amr district of Homs, which has been a target of heavy military shelling.
Their deaths fuelled renewed calls for urgent international action to avert a humanitarian disaster in Syria where more than 7,500 civilians have died at the hands of Syria's president Bashar Assad.
Photographer Paul Conroy, who was injured alongside Ms Colvin, told reporters that working with her had been an “absolute privilege”.
Speaking from his hospital bed in London, Mr Conroy said: “Marie was a unique person. To work with her was just an absolute privilege.
“She was tenacious — one of the bravest people I know and to be quite honest, we never get the choice of how we die, but Marie died doing something she was completely passionate about.”
Mr Conroy said he feared for what would happen in Syria with no cameras or journalists there to report.
He said: “It’s an attempt to massacre. It’s horrifying to think that this is the part we’re seeing.
“Once the cameras are gone, as they are now, God knows what’s happening. Any talking now is too late.”
Meanwhile, China offered a proposal today to end the violence in Syria, calling for an immediate ceasefire and talks by all parties.
But it stood firm against any intervention by outside forces.
The proposal, released by the foreign ministry, comes as United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon is calling on Mr Assad’s government to allow immediate access to humanitarian workers amid the military crackdown against anti-government groups.
Beijing’s plan comes after China was roundly criticised for joining Russia in vetoing a UN resolution which it feared would open the door to intervention against Mr Assad’s authoritarian government.
PA