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Sat, Feb 04 2012
Bokova defends Polanski after legendary director's arrest
Roman Polanski has been acclaimed as one of the most talented film directors of our time
Unesco's new Bulgarian Director-General designate, Irina Bokova, has condemned the arrest of renowned filmmaker Roman Polanski as "shocking".
Polanski, 76, was detained on September 26 in Switzerland on a 31-year-old arrest warrant pertaining to charges of statutory rape dating back to 1977. He was in Switzerland to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival.
The veteran director, responsible for acclaimed masterpieces such as Repulsion (1965), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Chinatown (1974) and, most recently, the Oscar-winning drama The Pianist (2003), has technically been a fugitive from US justice since 1978.
He has never set foot on US soil since that time (he did not accept his Oscar for The Pianist in person) and has been careful to avoid entering countries such as the UK which have extradition treaties with the US. For example, even his interpretation of Thomas Hardy's Tess (1980) was filmed in Northern France, not the UK, where the novel was set.
Indications are that Polanski's arrest could cause a diplomatic rift between France and the US. French culture minister Frederic Mitterrand said he was "dumbfounded" by Polanski's arrest.
Bokova's intervention is likely to pile the pressure on the US to offer clemency to Polanski. "Even though I am not aware of any details, this is shocking," Bokova said in interview for TV5Monde television. She added that Polanski is "a world renowned intellectual". Asked whether she would call for his release, Bokova explained that she has not yet officially assumed office as Unesco Director General, which is expected to happen in October. "Still this is not fair, this is certainly not fair," she added.
Polanski, 76, was detained on September 26 in Switzerland on a 31-year-old arrest warrant pertaining to charges of statutory rape dating back to 1977. He was in Switzerland to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival.
The veteran director, responsible for acclaimed masterpieces such as Repulsion (1965), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Chinatown (1974) and, most recently, the Oscar-winning drama The Pianist (2003), has technically been a fugitive from US justice since 1978.
He has never set foot on US soil since that time (he did not accept his Oscar for The Pianist in person) and has been careful to avoid entering countries such as the UK which have extradition treaties with the US. For example, even his interpretation of Thomas Hardy's Tess (1980) was filmed in Northern France, not the UK, where the novel was set.
Indications are that Polanski's arrest could cause a diplomatic rift between France and the US. French culture minister Frederic Mitterrand said he was "dumbfounded" by Polanski's arrest.
Bokova's intervention is likely to pile the pressure on the US to offer clemency to Polanski. "Even though I am not aware of any details, this is shocking," Bokova said in interview for TV5Monde television. She added that Polanski is "a world renowned intellectual". Asked whether she would call for his release, Bokova explained that she has not yet officially assumed office as Unesco Director General, which is expected to happen in October. "Still this is not fair, this is certainly not fair," she added.
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A few minor factual innacuracies here. Polanski is not an "alledged fugutive from justice", he's not "technically" on the run, he was found guilty by a court of law, and fled the country.
Secondly, it's not "statutory rape" - it's simply rape. Drugging a 13-year old girl and then forcing her to have anal sex is simply not on a par with mere underage sex.
So it's not a matter of "Would you let your 13 year old daughter have sex with a 44 year old man", it more of a case [...]
Read the full comment of "If your 13 year old daughter was drugged and brutally raped by a 44 year old man, who pleaded, and was found, guilty, and then fled justice - would you want to let him get away with it?"
This woman is a complete lunatic and so out of touch with reality.
She CLAIMS to be fighting for gender equity and indeed has made that one of her missions at UNESCO.
Does the drugging and raping of 13 year old girls extend 'gender equity', Ms Bokova?
How do you explain your disgusting remarks defending Polanski?
Irina watch your step Polanski may be "an erudite" "an intellectual"
"a world renowned director" or whatever he is also an "alleged crime fugitive avoiding the entrance in the US and UK".
Roland Polanski acted as a despicable criminal 31 years ago. At that time he would me convicted under any European Criminal Code. Today however, according to the legal philosophy on the Old Continent, he would be under the protection of a reasonable ‘period of prescription’ which in USA common law would be a ‘Statute of Limitations.’ Unfortunately, here comes in power the revengeful and blood thirsty tradition of the law in US which do not foresee this protection for cases of 'statutory rape'.
European judicial tradition is opposite to the one in USA. American society believes in the [...]
Read the full comment principal “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth”. Americans are just too religious and do not believe people can change to better, they believe in unchangeable Good and Evil…
Poor thing…
Bokova should have been more careful about what saying.
Polanski and me (an Indian) are of almost the same age. Even Mahatma Gandhi must be on trial in absentia if he were exactly under the given circumstances, and exonerated with the statement, "He was a human being at that time."
Considering that EU government people in very high places are defending him too, she's not doing anything unusual.
I think she quite fits in the UN/Unesco setting.
They are all out of their minds...
Now that Bokova has come out to defend a self-confessed pedophile and child rapist will the UNESCO general conference still confirm her has its new Director-General? If it does, that will be an outrage!
Just goes to show how low the UN and UNESCO has sunk: the race for the DG post is between a oppressive Government minister of culture who threatens to burn Jewish books like the Nazis did and an Ambassador to France person who defends pedophiles and child rapists!
Bokova appointment as the incoming head of UNESCO should be immediately be revoked by the UNESCO Executive Board. It is beyond believe that a senior UN official should even comment on such a matter and then to defend a confessed peadophile!!! SAXCK HER NOW!!! The US supported her nomination. They should now support her removal from UNESCO.
How sad the world has become, when we are asked to feel pity for Roman Polanski a man who admitted to this crime against a child, and who has been on the run ever since. I find myself asking why this should be and who are his friends.
* agree
Dianne, I aree
*if
she does not know details but she is shocked (law, wtf, who cares?! and she works in UNESCO - poor kids, BG should call her back i having any shame)
that woman is stupid
If Polanski was a janitor, nobody would care enough to arrest him or feel sorry for him if they did.
I wonder how many of these people objecting would be more than happy to let their 13 year old daughter have sex with a 44 year old man.