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At the trial of the "Butcher of Lyon"

Philippe Valat, Christophe De Roquefeuil, Frédéric Bichon Friday 16 June 2017

Thirty years ago, the “Butcher of Lyon” Klaus Barbie went on trial in France in a landmark case that resulted in painful national retrospection. AFP journalists who covered the trial look back on those days in Lyon, when Barbie -- a former Gestapo officer in the city during World War II who after the war settled in Bolivia before being extradited to France in 1983 -- finally faced charges for the 14,000 deaths he is estimated to have directly caused.

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A cannabis sativa plant is seen in Montevideo on December 7, 2012. AFP / Pablo Porciuncula

Pot luck in Uruguay

Katell Abiven Monday 12 June 2017

"As a journalist you have to get out and experience the news on the ground, so it was purely for professional reasons that I went to my local post office in Montevideo to sign up to buy cannabis," writes Katell Abiven, a journalist based in Montevideo, Uruguay, as she tells the tale of immersing herself in the marijuana legalization story.

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A supporter of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF attends the funeral of Harare Governor David Karimanzira at the National Heroes Acre in Harare on March 27, 2011. AFP / Jekesai Njikizana

Stuck on pause in Zimbabwe

Ben Sheppard Friday 9 June 2017

"A Zimbabwe press card is a precious thing," writes Ben Sheppard, an AFP journalist based in Johannesburg.

"Much of the local media is under state control, and President Robert Mugabe has a long record of disliking foreign correspondents. So when I had a chance to get temporary accreditation to cover an arts festival, I jumped at it."

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  • AFP / Jim Watson
  • AFP / Jim Watson
  • AFP / Jim Watson
  • AFP / Jim Watson
  • AFP / Jim Watson

The lows of the well

Jim Watson Friday 2 June 2017

"Every time I get this assignment, I get a knot in my stomach. Ugh. Not this again," writes Washington DC-based photographer Jim Watson.

"I call it the lowest form of photography. You are shooting people who are sitting right in front of you. There is no action, nothing interesting. So you’re constantly desperate to find something different. On the other hand, when you do, it’s always such a high because it’s just so rare."

"Welcome to photographing hearings on Capitol Hill."

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  • AFP / Hector Guerrero
  • AFP / Yuri Cortez
  • AFP / Yuri Cortez
  • AFP / Yuri Cortez
  • AFP / Yuri Cortez

A remarkable journalist

Jennifer Gonzalez Friday 19 May 2017

"Two large photographs immediately catch the eye in the tiny living room of his immaculately tidy house: they show a smiling Javier Valdez", writes Jennifer Gonzalez, who is based in Mexico city.

"But the mood quickly turns dark. Two thick red candles flank the photos, in mournful salute. Nothing will ever be the same after the murder Monday of this bold and enterprising journalist in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state in northwestern Mexico." 

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