On May 30, 2022, journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff was killed during his editorial mission in the Luhansk region. On that day, he was covering a humanitarian convoy. Frédéric received a shrapnel wound to his neck, which turned out to be incompatible with life.
Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff graduated from Institut de Journalisme Bordeaux Aquitaine. He had worked as a freelancer for such French media and TV channels as TV Libertés, L'Obs, Capa for more than ten years. Six years ago, Frédéric began to collaborate with one of the most popular broadcasts in France – BFMTV. Despite a complex schedule and severe workload, he was very devoted to his job.
“We could discuss the news for hours. Frédéric showed a great commitment to his job, in spite of the precarity of a freelancer’s status and infernal working schedule,” the journalist’s partner Sam wrote.
Frédéric went to Ukraine for the first time on April 10, 2022, on assignment from BFMTV. He worked in hotspots for three weeks. His second assignment ended tragically. Frédéric was in an armored vehicle with his two colleagues, Maxime Brandstaetter and Oksana Leuta, when Russian artillery shelling began. The crew was injured, while Frédéric received a mortal wound.
“Fred tried to show us reality in all impartiality, allowing us to understand beyond the propaganda, and denouncing the horror with modesty and restraint without seeking sensationalism,” his mother Sylviane said of her son.
Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff was buried on June 10, 2022, in his hometown of Paris. He was 32 years old.
