Sacked CNN journalist Saima Mohsin awaits judgment as hearing concludes

Saima Mohsin sued CNN for racial discrimination, unfair dismissal after a severe injury while on assignment in Isreal

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Web Desk
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British-Pakistani journalist Saima Mohsin. — Facebook/Saima Mohsin
British-Pakistani journalist Saima Mohsin. — Facebook/Saima Mohsin

British-Pakistani journalist Saima Mohsin, who sued Cable News Network (CNN) for racial discrimination and unfair dismissal, has said that she awaited the judgment as the hearing of her case has been concluded. 

"If I win, I win the right to take my unfair dismissal and discrimination claim against CNN to the Employment Tribunal, England for me, for all journalists, for people working with a disability for black and brown women like me and for all of us," the journalist wrote on her official Twitter handle on Friday. 

Mohsin had filed a lawsuit against the news agency for racial discrimination and unfair dismissal after she was severely injured while on assignment in Isreal. 

The reporter was left disabled following an accident when she was reporting from Jerusalem on the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Guardian reported earlier this week.

She has been struggling to sit, stand, walk, or return to work full time-time after the incident in 2014 — wherein her cameraman ran over her foot in a car, resulting in severe tissue damage.

Following the upsetting event, she urged to media organisation to switch her to a physically less demanding role and support for rehabilitation, but CNN flat-out refused.

"She also alleges that she asked CNN if she could switch to a presenting role in order to reduce the amount of time spent travelling but was told 'you don't have the look we are looking for'," the Guardian reported.

Three years later, CNN fired her.

The reporter then decided to move the employment tribunal claim as CNN refused to support her following her life-changing injury.

"I worked hard to become an international correspondent and loved my job with CNN. I risked my life many times on assignment for CNN believing they would have my back. They did not," she said.

Mohsin alleged that she faced racial and disability discrimination as well as a gender pay gap during her stint at CNN.

The former CNN reporter also alleged that the managers preferred white American correspondents over her even when she was ready to go live on the ground — giving her less on-air time.