EU wants to ban my film on victims of rape in Afghanistan

Film maker: London-based Clementine Malpas filmed the documentary
12 April 2012

A film-maker based in London has been threatened with legal action by the European Union after making a documentary that exposed abuse of women in Afghanistan.

The EU hired Clementine Malpas to highlight the plight of battered wives and rape victims convicted of "moral crimes" by anti-female Afghan courts.

However, 24 hours before the film was due to be delivered, EU officials said they would block its release as they did not want to upset "relations with the justice institutions" in Afghanistan, and Ms Malpas, 30, is now accused of breaching her contract after claims the film was screened for outside viewers.

She obtained written consent to film Gulnaz, 19, who was jailed for 12 years for adultery after being raped, and Farida, 26, also jailed for adultery after fleeing her abusive husband.

Both women risked their personal safety to speak out over their treatment at the hands of Afghanistan's judicial system. Gulnaz was filmed saying: "I have to [do the film] because when everybody sees this it will be a lesson for them and these things won't happen in Afghanistan."

Her husband's cousin raped her, making her pregnant, but after going to police she was jailed in Kabul, where her little daughter is with her.

The EU insists it is protecting the women by hiding their identities, but it is understood Ms Malpas, from Kensal Rise, told EU officials they were silencing them against their will. Friends of the film-maker said it was a bizarre position for an international delegation publicly committed to improving women's rights.

Vygaudas Usackas, head of the EU mission in Afghanistan, wrote to her: "We have been approached by several individuals who claim to have been shown the documentary. In addition, members of your team have said themselves they have screened it to outside viewers.

"This is in breach of your contractual obligations. The EU reserves the right to consider legal action."

Ms Malpas, who has produced several human rights films in Africa and Afghanistan, said: "It is the women's choice to tell their stories and I admire their clear-eyed courage.

It is not for us to veto their voices." She criticised the "broken, male-dominated and prejudice-ridden" judicial process in Afghanistan, where up to half of women in prison are there for "moral crimes".

An EU spokesman said: "The women and their families must be protected, which means their identities can under no circumstances be revealed... the film in its current form does not
conceal the persons in question."

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