Sarkozy Welcoming Bouvier, Daniels: Syria Crimes Won't Go Unpunished
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday said Syrian authorities will "be called to account for their crimes before international criminal jurisdictions," as two French journalists evacuated from Syria's battered city Homs arrived at a military airport near Paris after escaping the besieged protest hub where two of their colleagues were killed.
Sarkozy, who announced earlier on Friday that Paris would close its embassy in Syria to denounce President Bashar al-Assad's "scandalous" repression, paid homage to the journalists on their arrival.
"The crime that they committed, the crimes that they have committed, will not go unpunished," Sarkozy said, also praising William Daniels as "chivalrous" for staying with Edith Bouvier in Baba Amr during days of heavy regime bombardment.
Sarkozy said the Syrian government's response to efforts to evacuate the two reporters had been "particularly unacceptable," as he expressed outrage at the continued violence in the country.
"What is going on is scandalous. There are more than 8,000 dead, hundreds of children, and the city of Homs faces the risk of being wiped off the map," Sarkozy said at the close of an EU summit in Brussels before returning to Paris.
A plane transporting wounded reporter Bouvier, 31, and photographer Daniels, 34, flew in from Beirut, arriving at Villacoublay airport where they were met by relatives and Sarkozy.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the Syrian regime had refused to assist in the evacuation.
"I will say no more about the route or the methods of the evacuation out of concern for the safety of those involved," Juppe told reporters in Bordeaux.
Foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero praised the Syrian opposition activists involved in evacuating the French reporters.
"We will not forget the Syrians, who will probably remain anonymous, who allowed our two compatriots to get out of the city of Homs and get to Lebanon safe and sound," he said.
A network of Syrians linked with global rights group Avaaz has been involved in smuggling journalists out of the country, and the group said at least 13 activists have died during the efforts.
Valero said Bouvier was in stable condition following her ordeal.
The evacuation of the French journalists followed the earlier escapes from Syria to Lebanon of British photographer Conroy and Spanish reporter Javier Espinosa, who were also caught up in the attack on the media center.
Source: Agence France Presse
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