Tears around the globe for Kiwi journo
Memorials in three countries for writer who fell to death
The family of Kiwi journalist Yasmine Ryan are preparing three memorials of her life: One each in Turkey, Tunisia and the United Kingdom. Ryan died after falling from the fifth storey of a building in the Turkish city of Istanbul late last week.
Some reports indicated her death had been labelled suspicious by local police, however in a statement Ryan’s family said this was not the case.
“Yasmine’s family want it to be known that her death is not considered to be suspicious,” the statement read.
Her father Tom Ryan met with authorities after arriving in Istanbul, after leaving as soon as possible when the news of his daughter’s death spread to New Zealand.
A Givealittle page set up by Jacinta Forde, who works at the University of Waikato with Ryan’s father Tom, said he had “left on the first plane to Turkey last night to bring her back home to New Zealand”.
So far more than $11,000 has been raised.
“Yasi was an amazing, talented young woman who had spent many years in North Africa and the Middle East as a journalist, investigative reporter and international correspondent,” the page stated.
“It is a terrible loss for journalism but an even bigger loss for her family and friends.”
Ryan worked for RT World in Istanbul as a senior features editor and was a 2016 World Press Institute Fellow.
The first of three memorials will be held in Istanbul at the Conrad Hotel today. A second memorial will be held in Tunis, with the date and location yet to be confirmed.
A memorial will also be held in London, United Kingdom on Monday, December 11 from 5.30pm to 7pm local time.
The location was still to be confirmed, family said in a statement.
Ryan’s family planned to bring her body home to New Zealand where another memorial would be held.
It was reported in Turkish media that Ryan fell from the fifth storey of a building while staying at a friend’s house.
TRT World said the pair had retired for the day to separate rooms.
The friend was woken at 2.20am by a noise and found an open window and Ryan on the ground below. Emergency services declared her dead at the scene.