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Romanian Supreme Court Admits President’s Appeal In Offended Journalist Case

The Supreme Court admitted Thursday president Traian Basescu’s appeal in the “stinking gypsy” case, but still considered the words, which Basescu addressed a TV reporter one year ago, are discriminatory.
Romanian Supreme Court Admits President’s Appeal In Offended Journalist Case
15 mai 2008, 16:53, English
The court annulled the lower court’s decision, which had rejected as ungrounded Basescu’s appeal to the warning received from the National Council Against Discrimination for having offended a TV reporter.
 
The Supreme Court decide to cancel the articles in the council’s decision which entailed the head of state was guilty of misdemeanor. However, the court stated the words “stinking gypsy” are discriminatory.
 
The court’s decision is final and irrevocable.
 
The anti-discrimination council sanctioned Basescu with a warning in May 2007, deciding unanimously that his use of the words “stinking gypsy”, addressed to journalist Andreea Pana, was an act of discrimination.
 
The head of state appealed the council’s decision at that time, but the Court of Appeals rejected the appeal as ungrounded. The president then appealed the decision with the Supreme Court. The president’s defense attorney said the council’s decision had been made following extensive media pressure and was based on a recording obtained illegally.
 
Basescu’s attorneys also said the fact that the recording of him talking to his wife in their car was made public is a violation of his right to privacy.
 
One year ago, president Basescu seized the mobile phone of a journalist who was filming him while he was shopping with his wife. After the president got into his car, the phone recorded Basescu calling the journalists a “stinking gypsy”. The recording was afterward deleted, but the TV station managed to recover it and made it public.