It looks as though France 2 Television will hand over the raw footage of the al Dura incident, subject of a complex lawsuit in France. The television network had garnered world outrage for its edited footage purporting to show that Israeli soldiers shot a small boy, Mohammed al Dura, who died in his father's arms. The images sparked Muslim outrage and played a role in the bloody Second Intifada. Presiding magistrate Laurence Trébucq officially confirmed the court order anticipated during the September 19th Appellate Court hearing of Philippe Karsenty's appeal against his October 2006 conviction for defamation against France 2 and Charles Enderlin. The Court has ordered France 2 to turn over, before October 31st, the unedited raw footage filmed by France 2 cameraman Talal Abu Rahma on September 30th and October 1st 2000.
Maître Bénédicte Amblard, representing France 2, confirmed that her client will comply with the order. The 27-minute video will be projected in the (open) courtroom on November 14th. The case will be heard in full on the 27th of February 2008.
French mainstream media are observing, to date, a total blackout of information on the case. The same media that touted the France 2 victory over Karsenty in October 2006, with headlines claiming "The icon of the Intifada was not staged" have turned a blind eye to new developments.
Hat tip: Larwyn
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