Reporter, associations react to Kouchner outburst

The reporter who on Tuesday found himself at the receiving end of an offensive outburst by French FM Bernard Kouchner has commented on the incident. "I had no intention to provoke Mr. Kouchner, I was just doing my job professionally," Voice of America's Budimir Nicic told Tanjug news agency. Reporter, associations react to Kouchner outburst Nicic's question about the Kosovo organ trafficking case, put to Kouchner in the Serb enclave of Gracanica on Wednesday, saw the French minister's visit go downhill. "I asked Kouchner, noting that many families of the kidnapped accuse him of having taken part in the organ trade, what his answer to this was, and what his position on the so-called Yellow House was. He then asked me whether I'm sick and insane," Nicic recounted. The reporter stressed that he was "hurt and offended" by Kouchner's reaction. In Belgrade on Tuesday, the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) condemned Kouchner's behavior. "France is a country that takes pride in freedom of the press and the degree of its democracy, and its high representative cannot allow himself to, with offensive treatment of reporters, bring into question those achievements, and on the other side, efforts of the international community and Serbia to determine the truth about the crimes committed in Kosovo," said the NUNS statement. The statement pointed out that “it is irrefutable that the current French foreign minister, who is a doctor, has a right to dismiss the accusations that connect him with one of the biggest scandals and crimes committed during his presidency of the UN Mission to Kosovo,” adding that his fear should not result in offences directed toward journalists. “It is needless to remind that it was not the journalists who invented the scandal, but that the human organ trafficking is the object of investigation that involves respective institution of the international community,” NUNS stated and “asked for France's explanation of Kouchner's behavior that is far beyond acceptable”. The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) also reacted to the undiplomatic speech and insults, and said it had notified the International Federation of Journalist about the incident. "We believe that just because a person is a foreign minister, they should not be allowed to behave in a cordially rude manner, let alone call a reporter a lunatic, and invite him to see a doctor and check his brains," UNS President Ljiljana Smajlovic said. "I understand that Mr. Kouchner dislikes to find out that he too is being accused by someone of involvement in the organ trade, but I am astonished by the fact that he pretended to have never heard of the Yellow House, that he knows nothing about it, because, after all, Dick Marty of the Council of Europe is conducting a very serious investigation into it." Kouchner was appointed as UN administrator in the province after the 1999 war, and remained at the post until 2001. The Yellow House is the informal name given to the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution case probing allegations that the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in 1999 kidnapped hundreds of Kosovo Serb civilians, took them to northern Albania, and had their organs removed to be sold in the black market.

Reporter, associations react to Kouchner outburst

Ničić's question about the Kosovo organ trafficking case, put to Kouchner in the Serb enclave of Gračanica on Wednesday, saw the French minister's visit go downhill.

"I asked Kouchner, noting that many families of the kidnapped accuse him of having taken part in the organ trade, what his answer to this was, and what his position on the so-called Yellow House was. He then asked me whether I'm sick and insane," Ničić recounted.

The reporter stressed that he was "hurt and offended" by Kouchner's reaction.

In Belgrade on Tuesday, the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) condemned Kouchner's behavior.

"France is a country that takes pride in freedom of the press and the degree of its democracy, and its high representative cannot allow himself to, with offensive treatment of reporters, bring into question those achievements, and on the other side, efforts of the international community and Serbia to determine the truth about the crimes committed in Kosovo," said the NUNS statement.

The statement pointed out that “it is irrefutable that the current French foreign minister, who is a doctor, has a right to dismiss the accusations that connect him with one of the biggest scandals and crimes committed during his presidency of the UN Mission to Kosovo,” adding that his fear should not result in offences directed toward journalists.

“It is needless to remind that it was not the journalists who invented the scandal, but that the human organ trafficking is the object of investigation that involves respective institution of the international community,” NUNS stated and “asked for France's explanation of Kouchner's behavior that is far beyond acceptable”.

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) also reacted to the undiplomatic speech and insults, and said it had notified the International Federation of Journalist about the incident.

"We believe that just because a person is a foreign minister, they should not be allowed to behave in a cordially rude manner, let alone call a reporter a lunatic, and invite him to see a doctor and check his brains," UNS President Ljiljana Smajlović said.

"I understand that Mr. Kouchner dislikes to find out that he too is being accused by someone of involvement in the organ trade, but I am astonished by the fact that he pretended to have never heard of the Yellow House, that he knows nothing about it, because, after all, Dick Marty of the Council of Europe is conducting a very serious investigation into it."

Kouchner was appointed as UN administrator in the province after the 1999 war, and remained at the post until 2001.

The Yellow House is the informal name given to the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution case probing allegations that the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in 1999 kidnapped hundreds of Kosovo Serb civilians, took them to northern Albania, and had their organs removed to be sold in the black market.