>> Film festival fires Mona Iraqi
Dans un communiqué officiel, suite à sa réunion annuelle ce 22 décembre à Berne, le Conseil de la Fondation festival Shnit a décidé d’exclure Mona Iraqi, qui dirigeait jusque là la section consacrée au court-métrage… avec effet immédiat :
Le Shnit prend ses distance et «condamne les pratiques professionnelles et éthiques de Mona Iraqi, dans les événements survenus le 7 décembre au Caire,» en contradiction avec les principes proférés par le festival. Le volet égyptien se poursuivra avec une nouvelle administration «conforme au principes de respect, de tolérance et d’expression artistique sans préjugés…» remerciant toutes celles et ceux qui auront porté à leur attention les dérapages employées par la journaliste.
Rappelons que Mona Iraqi est soupçonnée d’avoir orchestré la rafle dans un hammam ayant conclu à l’arrestation de quelques 26 «suspects», en attente de leur jugement pour «débauche». Mona Iraqi a servi d’indic aux autorités et filmé l’opération dans le cadre d’un documentaire censé lever le voile sur un «antre de la perversion» et un «centre de propagation du sida», selon ses propres dires https://www.stophomophobie.com//rafle-orchestree-par-mona-iraqi-26-hommes-accuses-dhomosexualite-et-juges-en-egypte-pour-debauche/
>> Shnit, the Swiss-based international short film festival, posted this on its website today:
As of its annual Council meeting on December 22th in Bern, the Board of Trustees of the shnit FOUNDATION, in accordance with Festival Director, has decided to exclute Mona Iraqi from the shnit International Shortfilmfestival immediately. shnit International Shortfilmfestival completely distance from and condemn the practices – professional and ethical – employed by Mona Iraqi as a TV reporter in the events of December 7th in Cairo. These practices are at utter odds with the principles of the shnit International Shortfilmfestival.
The Board of Trustees believes it is of great importance, however, to continue the shnit PLAYGROUND in Cairo, under new management and in line with the values of respect, tolerance and artistic expression without prejudice for which shnit has always stood. Commitment to these principles is a foundation of each and every PLAYGROUND and shnit’s management team around the world.
We thank again those who brought the issue to our attention, and to those who allowed us the due process to make an informed and considered decision.
Kudos to Shnit for doing the right thing, and rejecting Iraqi’s excuses and lies. Thanks also to all the people, in Egypt and beyond, who wrote to Shnit to complain about Iraqi’s unethical and immoral participation in gross human rights abuses.
Meanwhile, her victims are still in jail. It’s imperative to keep up the pressure on Iraqi. She has no place on the international cultural or journalistic scenes until the men she imprisoned are freed; until she apologizes for her role in this disaster and for her misrepresentations; and until the mass arrests targeting gay and transgender people in Egypt, which she’s done so much to further, stop.
