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FRENCH COURT TO KEEP 'GENOCIDE' BILL: DIASPORA
Hurriyet Daily News
Feb 23 2012
Turkey
Franck Mourad Papazian, an influential figure of Armenian Diaspora,
says they are going to bring a new law before Parliament even if this
'genocide' law is annulled.
One of the leading figures of the Armenian diaspora in France,
Franck Mourad Papazian, said there was no likelihood of the country's
constitutional court overturning the draft bill to criminalize the
denial of Armenian genocide allegations.
"The weight of the Constitutional Court would come under question
if the law were to be retracted. Most important of all, we are going
to sustain our efforts to bring a new law before Parliament even if
this law is annulled," Franck Mourad Papazian, who is also a member
of the Dashnakszutyun Party, told the Hurriyet Daily News.
Following the French Parliament's approval of the bill, some 65
deputies and 60 senators appealed to the country's constitutional
court for a reversal of the decision. The ball still lies in the
court of a judicial commission in the constitutional body.
"I would not like to [think] the constitutional court would annul
this law [...] Turkey has exerted great pressure on France since
the bill gained currency. More than anything else, the French people
would not [yield to] such an anti-French and anti-Armenian attitude,"
Papazian added.
France officially recognized the events of 1915 as genocide in 2001.
Some circles in France are debating whether that law would also be
imperiled if the bill criminalizing the denial of genocide claims is
overturned, but Papazian does not agree: "Absolutely not. The 'denial
law' and the bill in 2001 bear no connection to each other at all.
Some so-called experts have also brought up this issue, but that is
not possible," he said.
From: A. Papazian
Hurriyet Daily News
Feb 23 2012
Turkey
Franck Mourad Papazian, an influential figure of Armenian Diaspora,
says they are going to bring a new law before Parliament even if this
'genocide' law is annulled.
One of the leading figures of the Armenian diaspora in France,
Franck Mourad Papazian, said there was no likelihood of the country's
constitutional court overturning the draft bill to criminalize the
denial of Armenian genocide allegations.
"The weight of the Constitutional Court would come under question
if the law were to be retracted. Most important of all, we are going
to sustain our efforts to bring a new law before Parliament even if
this law is annulled," Franck Mourad Papazian, who is also a member
of the Dashnakszutyun Party, told the Hurriyet Daily News.
Following the French Parliament's approval of the bill, some 65
deputies and 60 senators appealed to the country's constitutional
court for a reversal of the decision. The ball still lies in the
court of a judicial commission in the constitutional body.
"I would not like to [think] the constitutional court would annul
this law [...] Turkey has exerted great pressure on France since
the bill gained currency. More than anything else, the French people
would not [yield to] such an anti-French and anti-Armenian attitude,"
Papazian added.
France officially recognized the events of 1915 as genocide in 2001.
Some circles in France are debating whether that law would also be
imperiled if the bill criminalizing the denial of genocide claims is
overturned, but Papazian does not agree: "Absolutely not. The 'denial
law' and the bill in 2001 bear no connection to each other at all.
Some so-called experts have also brought up this issue, but that is
not possible," he said.
From: A. Papazian