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FRANCE BANS ARMENIAN 'GENOCIDE' DENIAL
Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/222746.html
Jan 24 2012
Iran
The French Senate has approved a controversial bill that makes it
illegal to deny that the Ottoman Empire carried out acts of genocide
against the Armenians during World War I.
The measure was passed by a vote of 127 to 86 on Monday.
The legislation stipulates that anyone in France who denies the attacks
were genocide would face a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros
(about 58,000 dollars).
The bill needs to be signed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for
it to become law, but that is largely considered a formality.
Turkey furiously condemned the move, with Justice Minister Sadullah
Ergin saying that it was "a great injustice and shows a total lack
of respect for Turkey."
Engin Solakoglu, the spokesman for the Turkish Embassy in Paris,
warned that if President Sarkozy signed the bill, the consequences
would be "permanent."
"France is in the process of losing a strategic partner," Solakoglu
added.
Meanwhile, Armenia lauded the French senators' move.
"This day will be written in gold, not only in the history of
friendship between the Armenian and French peoples, but also in the
annals of the history of the protection of human rights worldwide,"
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in a statement.
France's lower house approved the bill last December, prompting
Turkey to briefly recall its ambassador from Paris and to cancel some
bilateral visits.
Paris formally recognized the killings of Armenians as genocide in
2001, but had imposed no penalty for anyone denying that genocide
had occurred.
On Saturday, thousands of Turks from across Europe held a demonstration
in Paris to protest against the law.
Sarkozy, whose right-wing UMP party introduced the bill, is accused
of using the bill to win the support of France's estimated 500,000
ethnic Armenians in the French presidential election, which will be
held in April.
Armenia says up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed in an act of
genocide carried out by the forces of the Ottoman Empire in 1915
and 1916.
Ankara rejects the use of the word "genocide" and instead says that
only 500,000 Armenians died and they were casualties of World War I.
From: A. Papazian
Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/222746.html
Jan 24 2012
Iran
The French Senate has approved a controversial bill that makes it
illegal to deny that the Ottoman Empire carried out acts of genocide
against the Armenians during World War I.
The measure was passed by a vote of 127 to 86 on Monday.
The legislation stipulates that anyone in France who denies the attacks
were genocide would face a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros
(about 58,000 dollars).
The bill needs to be signed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for
it to become law, but that is largely considered a formality.
Turkey furiously condemned the move, with Justice Minister Sadullah
Ergin saying that it was "a great injustice and shows a total lack
of respect for Turkey."
Engin Solakoglu, the spokesman for the Turkish Embassy in Paris,
warned that if President Sarkozy signed the bill, the consequences
would be "permanent."
"France is in the process of losing a strategic partner," Solakoglu
added.
Meanwhile, Armenia lauded the French senators' move.
"This day will be written in gold, not only in the history of
friendship between the Armenian and French peoples, but also in the
annals of the history of the protection of human rights worldwide,"
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in a statement.
France's lower house approved the bill last December, prompting
Turkey to briefly recall its ambassador from Paris and to cancel some
bilateral visits.
Paris formally recognized the killings of Armenians as genocide in
2001, but had imposed no penalty for anyone denying that genocide
had occurred.
On Saturday, thousands of Turks from across Europe held a demonstration
in Paris to protest against the law.
Sarkozy, whose right-wing UMP party introduced the bill, is accused
of using the bill to win the support of France's estimated 500,000
ethnic Armenians in the French presidential election, which will be
held in April.
Armenia says up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed in an act of
genocide carried out by the forces of the Ottoman Empire in 1915
and 1916.
Ankara rejects the use of the word "genocide" and instead says that
only 500,000 Armenians died and they were casualties of World War I.
From: A. Papazian