Court bans release of Sara Omar recordings in documentary dispute

A Danish court has permanently prohibited a filmmaker and producer from releasing recordings of author Sara Omar, ruling that the material either belongs to her or violates her right to privacy, DR reports.

The Frederiksberg District Court on Friday ordered director Manyar Parwani and producer Omar Marzouk—also known as a comedian—to acknowledge that distributing the contested footage is unjustified. The recordings, made after Omar’s 2017 bestseller Dødevaskeren (The Death Washer) was published, were intended for a documentary about her life, but Omar has argued she holds the rights and opposes any public release.

According to the court’s summary, recordings made before 1 December 2018 are Omar’s property. Those made after that date fall under her right to privacy and reputation protection, which the court ruled outweighs Parwani and Marzouk’s freedom of expression.

Omar had sought 500,000 kroner (approx. €67,000) in compensation, claiming manipulation by Parwani, who she alleges aimed to portray her as unreliable. However, the court found no evidence that the filmmaker and producer had acted negligently during their collaboration or afterward, dismissing the financial claim.

The case centers on hundreds of hours of footage featuring Omar, recorded after her novel—exploring female oppression in certain Muslim cultures—became a bestseller. She has previously won two temporary injunctions (in February 2022 and April 2023) blocking the material’s release, but Friday’s ruling makes the ban permanent unless appealed.

During the six-day trial in January and February, audio recordings were presented in which Parwani allegedly used abusive language toward Omar, including calling her a “whore,” asking if she “wanted to be raped,” and threatening to “smash” her if she didn’t “shut up.” The court also referenced a prior conviction against Parwani for damaging Omar’s phone by throwing it from a hotel balcony.

The full details of Friday’s ruling remain unpublished, with the court citing a processing delay for public access. Both parties retain the right to appeal to the Eastern High Court.