December 2009 Archives

- Being punished for filming  "The Burden Of Virginity"
- Featured at Prague One World film festival 2006,

Umida Ahmedova, a prominent Uzbek photographer/videographer, was charged on December 16 with defamation and damaging the country's image because of the content of her photos and videos. Examples of her photos can be seen here. Umida Ahmedova, 54, took a series of photos and video at obscure Uzbek villages that she used for two documentaries in a project sponsored by the Swiss Embassy in Tashkent. Ahmedova says Uzbek officials disapprove of her photos used in and the documentaries "The Burden Of Virginity" and "Customs Of Men And Women," which focus on poverty and gender inequality in Uzbekistan.
Ahmedova said the charges against her are "groundless" and "absurd." Tashkent police investigator Nodir Ahmadjonov said the Prosecutor-General's Office found her photos and videos to be defamatory and insulting. If found guilty, Ahmedova could face a fine and be sentenced in a work camp for up to two years.