Friends and colleagues of a former BBC journalist found hanged in a toilet cubicle at a Turkish airport claim she was murdered, saying it is 'impossible' she committed suicide. Jacky Sutton, 50, had travelled from London Heathrow to Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, but is believed to have failed to make it onto her next plane to Erbil in Iraq.
She then appeared distressed after being told by airline staff that she would have to buy a new ticket and was later found in the toilets by three Russian passengers, according to local media. Ms Sutton is believed to have been the acting Iraq director for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.
Her death comes just five months after her predecessor at the organisation was killed in a car bomb attack in Baghdad. She held various positions over the years with humanitarian organisations and the United Nations as well as working as a producer for the BBC, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Ms Sutton had arrived in Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK-1986 at about 10pm local time on Saturday night, and was then due to fly to Erbil at about midnight, but missed her flight, it was reported.
Iraqi journalist Mazin Elias, who had worked with her, told MailOnline that it was 'impossible' that she committed suicide, alleging that 'someone killed Jacky'. Mr Elias said she was dedicated to developing freedom of expression in Iraq and was also trying to better herself by studying for her PhD.
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