Interfax, Russia
Dec 23 2011
France loses trust as Karabakh mediator - Azeri MP
BAKU. Dec 23
After the passage by the French parliament of a bill criminalizing the
denial of the Armenian genocide on Thursday, this country can no
longer be considered an objective mediator in the Karabakh conflict
resolution process, Azeri Parliament member Ilyas Ismailov said.
"France must be removed from the co-chairmanship of the OSCE
(Organization for Security and Co-operation Organization) Minsk Group
which mediates the Karabakh conflict, because by passing this bill it
proved that it is siding with Armenia," Ismailov, who previously
served as the Azeri Justice Minister and Prosecutor General, told
Interfax.
"Azerbaijan of course must stand by Turkey on this issue," he added.
By passing this law, France violated the generally accepted rules
which restrict the legal force of a law to the geographical boundaries
of the legislating country, Ismailov said. "Under these rules, France
must answer only for the historical events which took place in its
territory. However, France preferred to hold people responsible for
the denial of an event that happened 100 years ago in another region,
which is also quite a dubious event," he said.
This law runs counter to the rules regulating the protection of human
rights, Ismailov said. "Besides, the passage of the French Senate of
this bill raises questions about the degree of tolerance in the French
society," he said.
Earlier on Thursday members of the French National Assembly passed a
bill making it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide.
The move was followed by Turkey's decision to recall its ambassador from Paris.
Dec 23 2011
France loses trust as Karabakh mediator - Azeri MP
BAKU. Dec 23
After the passage by the French parliament of a bill criminalizing the
denial of the Armenian genocide on Thursday, this country can no
longer be considered an objective mediator in the Karabakh conflict
resolution process, Azeri Parliament member Ilyas Ismailov said.
"France must be removed from the co-chairmanship of the OSCE
(Organization for Security and Co-operation Organization) Minsk Group
which mediates the Karabakh conflict, because by passing this bill it
proved that it is siding with Armenia," Ismailov, who previously
served as the Azeri Justice Minister and Prosecutor General, told
Interfax.
"Azerbaijan of course must stand by Turkey on this issue," he added.
By passing this law, France violated the generally accepted rules
which restrict the legal force of a law to the geographical boundaries
of the legislating country, Ismailov said. "Under these rules, France
must answer only for the historical events which took place in its
territory. However, France preferred to hold people responsible for
the denial of an event that happened 100 years ago in another region,
which is also quite a dubious event," he said.
This law runs counter to the rules regulating the protection of human
rights, Ismailov said. "Besides, the passage of the French Senate of
this bill raises questions about the degree of tolerance in the French
society," he said.
Earlier on Thursday members of the French National Assembly passed a
bill making it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide.
The move was followed by Turkey's decision to recall its ambassador from Paris.