26 September 2006

Sunday Finally Cleared To Screen Marfart & Prieur Footage

After more than 20 years of legal action, TVNZ's SUNDAY programme has finally been cleared to screen footage of the guilty pleas of Alain Marfart and Dominique Prieur (SUNDAY, TV ONE at 7.30pm on 1 October 2006).

In August 2006, the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against TVNZ by the two former French Secret Service agents. TVNZ briefly screened a small part of the material a few weeks ago before again being prevented by additional legal action by lawyers acting for the French.

TVNZ wholeheartedly welcomes this final decision of the courts and is overjoyed at the result.

TVNZ's Head of News & Current Affairs, Bill Ralston says, "It has been an incredibly long and dogged fight to bring these pictures to the public. This is a significant triumph for media freedom and hopefully demonstrates to the French (and any other Government, corporate or individual) that the New Zealand media will not be intimidated into submission by legal stonewalling. Best of all, a whole new generation of New Zealanders will now get to be eyewitness to a pivotal moment in our country's history".

The SUNDAY programme will screen a feature on the long battle with the French, and intends to feature much of the material, this Sunday, 1 October 2006 at 7.30pm on TV ONE. Over the past 20 years, successive news, current affairs and documentary programmes have been denied access to the footage by lawyers acting for the French.

ENDS

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