Mexican judge orders documentary about impunity pulled from theaters

2011-03-04 05:29:28 GMT+7 (ICT)

MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) -- A Mexican judge ordered on Thursday to halt the exhibition and distribution of a documentary about impunity in the country's justice system after a complaint from a prosecution witness, El Universal newspaper reported.

The documentary "Presunto Culpable," or "Presumed Guilty," tells the story of Antonio Zúñiga who was convicted and sentenced for a murder he did not commit. The witness Victor Daniel Reyes Bravo filed an appeal against the film claiming that the screening of it has caused him moral damage. Reyes, a relative of the victim, is the main witness and said he never authorized the filmmakers to include him in the film.

Judge Blanca Lobo Domuínguez said the suspension of the exhibition and distribution of the documentary, which was released on February 18, will come into force no later than 24 hours.

The producer Roberto Hernández said he is concerned that situations like this happen, and that he thinks someone is advising the witness since it is unlikely that someone who only completed a fifth grade education devised such a sophisticated action. The other producer, Nicolás Vale, said this situation will not extend for more than three or four days, and also considered that this is not an act of censorship, according to the newspaper.

The Interior department said that the judge doesn't have the power to prohibit the screening or distribution of the movie. It added that it will ask her for clarification regarding the scope of these effects. In the meantime, the screening of the film will continue, it said.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-04

This is an excellent film. I see why he wants the film banned. Anyone watching the film will conclude based on body language alone (and much more) that this young witness Victor Daniel Reyes Bravo quite clearly lied and his lies came very close to putting an innocent young man in prison for 20 years. Moral damage well deserved but he was morally damaged to begin with.

Edited March 25, 201115 yr by Jingthing