French Senate passes bill criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide
14.10.2016,
15:51
Armenia’s foreign minister Edward Nalbandian has hailed the adoption of a bill by French Senate criminalizing the denial of the Armenian genocide.
YEREVAN, October 14. /ARKA/. Armenia’s foreign minister Edward Nalbandian has hailed the adoption of a bill by French Senate criminalizing the denial of the Armenian genocide. The amendment was passed as an extension of the current French holocaust law and includes “denial or trivialization” of all events classed as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or slavery as punishable crimes.
In a statement posted on the official website of the Armenian foreign ministry, Nalbandian says: "We welcome the adoption by the Senate of the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, which was approved by the National Assembly back in summer. With this step, France once again confirms its important role in the condemnation of past genocides and in the fight against their denial, as well as in the issue of preventing possible new crimes against humanity."
The French parliament passed an Armenian genocide law in 2001 and tried to ban denial of it in 2012. The law, which made it illegal to negate acts that parliament had decided were crimes against humanity, was blocked by the Constitutional Council, however, on the grounds that it was a limit on freedom of expression.
In 2015 Armenia marked the 100 anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the twentieth century. According to Armenian and many other historians, up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed starting in 1915 in a systematic campaign by the government of Turkey. Turkey has been denying it for decades.
The Armenian genocide was recognized by tens of countries. The first was Uruguay that did so in 1965. Other nations are Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, 43 U.S. states.
It was recognized also by the Vatican, the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches and other international organizations. ---0----
In a statement posted on the official website of the Armenian foreign ministry, Nalbandian says: "We welcome the adoption by the Senate of the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, which was approved by the National Assembly back in summer. With this step, France once again confirms its important role in the condemnation of past genocides and in the fight against their denial, as well as in the issue of preventing possible new crimes against humanity."
The French parliament passed an Armenian genocide law in 2001 and tried to ban denial of it in 2012. The law, which made it illegal to negate acts that parliament had decided were crimes against humanity, was blocked by the Constitutional Council, however, on the grounds that it was a limit on freedom of expression.
In 2015 Armenia marked the 100 anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the twentieth century. According to Armenian and many other historians, up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed starting in 1915 in a systematic campaign by the government of Turkey. Turkey has been denying it for decades.
The Armenian genocide was recognized by tens of countries. The first was Uruguay that did so in 1965. Other nations are Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, 43 U.S. states.
It was recognized also by the Vatican, the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches and other international organizations. ---0----
