Saima Mohsin, a former British-Pakistani CNN reporter, is suing the network that once employed her. She accused the network in a tweet of discrimination after it reportedly fired her after she was injured on assignment. She wrote “I was injured on assignment for CNN … They fired me . ..We risk our lives in the field trusting we’ll be taken care of I’m suing for unfair dismissal, disability & race discrimination. CNN wants my case thrown out … Big week for me at Employment Tribunal.”
I was injured on assignment for CNN
They fired meWe risk our lives in the field trusting we’ll be taken care of
I’m suing for unfair dismissal, disability & race discrimination. CNN wants my case thrown out
Big week for me at Employment Tribunal 🤲🏾 https://t.co/QYvOrB3LpH
— Saima Mohsin (@SaimaMohsin) July 10, 2023
Fox News reported that Saima Mohsin was injured while reporting from Jerusalem about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She now works for Sky News on a freelance basis as a program presenter. The Guardian had details about the incident in question of her injury.” Her cameraman ran over her foot in a car, causing severe tissue damage that has left the British-Pakistani journalist struggling to sit, stand and walk or return to work full-time” wrote the news outlet about the 2014 accident.
After CNN refused to cover her rehabilitation costs, Saima then claimed she approached CNN asking them if she could switch her role to something less intensive like that of a news presenter. CNN
The former CNN foreign correspondent is bringing her claims in London to an employment tribunal over the situation. She said “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.”
Mohsin further alleged that CNN engaged in racial and disability discrimination by being denied high-profile opportunities that were given to white American correspondents. She said that the treatment she received “should cause concern for all foreign correspondents who travel around the world – and take risks to do their journalism in the belief their employer will take care of them”
She added that “I’m also taking the opportunity to highlight the racism and gender pay gap issues that I experienced. I was repeatedly let down and denied the ability to achieve my potential while I was at CNN. I am bringing my claim to take a stand and call for change to ensure women journalists, and women journalists of colour [color], are better protected.”
The British-Pakistani journalist is being represented in court by Paras Gorasia and Jennifer Robinson of Doughty Street Chambers. CNN has declined to publicly comment about the legal action taken against them. The news company opposes the lawsuit based on territoriality grounds that her contract did not allow her to sue the company in London.
