Tomo Križnar

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tomo Križnar

Tomo Križnar (born August 26, 1954 in Jesenice , Yugoslavia , now Slovenia ) is a Slovenian peace activist, filmmaker and writer and in 2006 was the Slovenian President's special envoy for the crisis region Darfur in Sudan .

Tomo Križnar had already toured Sudan in the 1980s and again in 1998 and stayed there with the Nuba in the Nuba Mountains . After his second visit he published books and films about the Nuba (especially Nuba - the pure people ) in which he also reported on the human rights violations against the Nuba. In addition, Križnar traveled to numerous other countries, including occupied Tibet .

Arrested in Darfur / Sudan in 2006

In February 2006 Tomo Križnar entered the Sudanese Darfur region with the help of rebels from neighboring Chad, without a valid visa, to investigate the situation in the ongoing Darfur conflict as a special envoy of the Slovenian government .

Križnar was arrested on July 20, 2006, and on August 14, 2006, for "illegal entry, espionage and dissemination of false news" by a court in al-Fashir in Shamal Darfur state (North Darfur) to two years imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 Dinar (US $ 2,400) fined. His photographic equipment as well as film and photographic material were confiscated. After serving his sentence, Križnar was supposed to be expelled from the country.

The Slovenian government demanded the release of Tomo Križnar. The Slovenian President Janez Drnovšek wrote a corresponding letter to his Sudanese counterpart Umar al-Bashir and sent another special envoy to Sudan to achieve this goal. Finally, on September 2, al-Bashir ordered the pardon and release of Križnar. On September 5, Križnar was able to return to Slovenia, but had to leave his film and photo material - which, according to him, documented mass graves, among other things - in Sudan.

Documentaries

  • Lonely paths , 1995
  • Nuba, pure people , 2000
  • Nuba, voices from the other side , 2001
  • Dar Fur - War for Water , 2008
  • Eyes and Ears of God , 2012 ( on Youtube )
  • With the school children in the Nuba Mountains , 2013
  • A day in Koni's life , 2013

See also

  • Paul Salopek ( Chicago Tribune and National Geographic journalist who was also arrested in Darfur)

Web links


personal data
SURNAME Križnar, Tomo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Slovenian writer and peace activist
DATE OF BIRTH August 26, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH Jesenice