INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Jacky Sutton Found Dead At Istanbul Airport – The Reporter Who Promoted Journalism In Conflict Zones Killed Herself?

By Alap Naik Desai
Published on: 01:17 PST, Oct 20, 2015

Former BBC journalist Jacky Sutton was recently found dead. Sutton, the director of an organization promoting journalism in conflict zones, was found dead at Istanbul’s main airport. Though her death appears to be suicide, her colleagues are confident that Jacky Sutton wouldn’t kill herself.

Jacqueline Sutton, more popularly known as Jacky Sutton, who was working as the Iraq director for the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), died in an Istanbul airport, confirmed Turkey’s Foreign Office. Though exact details surrounding her death haven’t been officially released, Sutton is believed to have been found dead in a toilet at the city’s main airport.

The exact circumstances of her death aren’t clear, but local media reported Jacky Sutton killed herself in the bathroom. She was believed to be traveling to Irbil, northern Iraq, but missed her connecting flight. She was later found dead inside a washroom. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported that she became distraught because she didn’t have money to buy a new ticket to Iraq. The agency added that Sutton was in tears at the ticket counter after missing a connecting flight, and a few hours later, she was discovered dead, reported the Guardian.

Meanwhile, another private news agency, Dogan, reported that Jacky Sutton hanged herself with shoelaces from the hook of the bathroom door. The news agency added that her body was discovered by three Russian tourists who alerted police. Incidentally, none of the news agencies have been able to cite any source to corroborate the incidents leading up to the death of Sutton.

Friends of the 50-year-old former BBC journalist have expressed strong concerns over the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death in Istanbul, reported the Telegraph.

The Foreign Office merely attested to the fact that a Briton, traveling through Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport, has been found dead. Though the office hasn’t identified the person, friends of the journalist confirmed it was indeed Jacky Sutton who was found dead. She had arrived at the airport on Saturday night and was to board a flight to Iraq.

None of her colleagues believe that Jacky Sutton could take her own life, said Vanessa Farr, who worked with Sutton in the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

“None of us believes she took her own life. But all of us know she was attracting negative attention for her absolute refusal, before U.N. officials, politicians and warlords alike, to stay silent in the face of what she was witnessing women suffer.

“Her work was extremely difficult and she was a fearlessly courageous defender of women’s rights: but she was a strong and happy person, passionately engaged in her work, loved by many.”

Apart from her tough persona, Jacky Sutton had a strong reason to go on. Farr confirmed that Sutton was instrumental in securing a $1 million grant for the IWPR. The agency was doing daring work of reporting about the violent misogyny of the Islamic State group.

Missing a connecting flight can be a traumatic experience, but it’s certainly not a reason to commit suicide, said Anthony Borden, executive director of IWPR.

“Sutton devoted herself to professional journalism. Sutton would have known that the organization would have paid for a new flight, a relatively common occurrence. Clearly there would have been no issue (with money). It’s really inconceivable. We change tickets all the time.”

Sutton was appointed as the Iraq director of IWPR in June after the death of the previous country director, Ammar Al Shahbander. The earlier director was killed in a car bombing incident that is being investigated.

A veteran reporter, Jacky Sutton had held many positions with humanitarian organizations and the United Nations, reported MSN. Her colleagues have confirmed they would push the local government for an investigation.

[Image Via Video Screen Grab]

Share this article: Jacky Sutton Found Dead At Istanbul Airport – The Reporter Who Promoted Journalism In Conflict Zones Killed Herself?
turkey istanbul
More from Inquisitr