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INT'L REACTION PILES UP, FRENCH BILL DRAWS CRITICISM FOR LIMITING FREEDOMS
Today's Zaman
Jan 25 2012
Turkey
International reaction is piling up against a French Senate approval
of a bill that outlaws in France denial of "Armenian genocide," on
the grounds that the bill, now waiting on a final signature from the
French president, goes against freedom of expression, a right the
French constitution says cannot be denied to any human being.
Amnesty International, an international human rights organization with
millions of supporters worldwide, championed a stream of reactions
on Tuesday, saying the French bill threatened freedom of expression.
"This bill, if implemented, would have a chilling effect on public
debate and contravene France's international obligations to uphold
freedom of expression," said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central
Asia Director at Amnesty International, according to a posting
on the organization's website. "People should be free to express
their opinions on this issue -- in France, Turkey and elsewhere,"
Duckworth also said, stressing the organization's devotion to freedoms
and rights.
While the organization noted international human rights law would
allow for restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression in
certain cases, in order to protect rights and reputations, national
security or public order, it also noted none of these concerns applied
in the case of the French bill, and it would simply mean blocking the
expression of the view many Turks have regarding the 1915 incidents.
"The real issue at stake with this bill is not whether the large-scale
killings and forced displacement of Armenians in 1915 constituted a
genocide, but the French authorities' attempt to curtail freedom of
expression in response to that debate," added Duckworth.
The French Senate approval of the bill, which seeks to land a fine
of up to 45,000 euros and a prison sentence of up to one year upon
offenders, met with a similar reception from European liberals and
democrats, who deemed the move incomprehensible.
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff from Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP)
said in a statement the genocide-denial bill is an additional burden
on already strained Turkish-European relations, adding that apart
from a few, narrowly defined and politically justified exceptions,
assertions of historical facts should be left to historians and should
certainly not be made a crime.
Lambsdorff said the vote in the senate is all the more incomprehensible
because the alleged Turkish genocide of Armenians in 1915 is an
event in which France was not involved in any way. However, he
called on Turkey to show restraint, saying: "There is a risk that
Turkey might overreact, but for a country in the middle of accession
negotiations with the EU, it is important to react with moderation
and avoid adding to anti-Turkish sentiment. The lines must be kept
open between Ankara and Paris as this would inevitably impact wider
Turkish-European relations."
Also on Tuesday, US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said
the views of the US government were "very well-known," and Washington
D.C., shared with Paris its view on how it has "chosen to handle the
issue." Last April, when Armenians all over the world commemorated
the alleged Armenian genocide, US President Barack Obama gave a
much-expected speech in memory of the loss of Armenian lives in 1915
but stopped short of terming the killings genocide, in an attempt not
to harm the fragile balance between Turks and Armenians, both of whom
consider the events major building blocks of their national identities.
"Frankly, this is a matter between Turkey and France, and we want to
see good relations between them," Nuland stated, concerned over the
friction between the two countries. "They are both allies of the US,
and that's our message to both sides," she said, without elaborating
on whether the US would take part in easing the tension between
the nations.
Meanwhile, Andrew Duff from the United Kingdom's Liberal Democrats
said the French Parliament is wrong to play the role of a court. "The
definition of genocide is properly a judicial matter and should not
be reduced to the banality of party politics," said Duff, who is also
a member of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Previously, Jean-Vincent Place, leader of the Green Party that opposed
the bill, had claimed there had been serious pressure on senators to
vote in favor of the bill. "[Main opposition] Socialist Group leader
Francois Rebsamen phoned all senators who would vote against the bill
and asked them to stay home," Place told Today's Zaman, elaborating on
the pressure on senators to vote in favor of the denial bill. Bariza
Khiari, senate vice president, also claimed senators opposing the
bill, including herself, were under serious pressure for the three
days leading up to the vote on Monday.
Today's Zaman
Jan 25 2012
Turkey
International reaction is piling up against a French Senate approval
of a bill that outlaws in France denial of "Armenian genocide," on
the grounds that the bill, now waiting on a final signature from the
French president, goes against freedom of expression, a right the
French constitution says cannot be denied to any human being.
Amnesty International, an international human rights organization with
millions of supporters worldwide, championed a stream of reactions
on Tuesday, saying the French bill threatened freedom of expression.
"This bill, if implemented, would have a chilling effect on public
debate and contravene France's international obligations to uphold
freedom of expression," said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central
Asia Director at Amnesty International, according to a posting
on the organization's website. "People should be free to express
their opinions on this issue -- in France, Turkey and elsewhere,"
Duckworth also said, stressing the organization's devotion to freedoms
and rights.
While the organization noted international human rights law would
allow for restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression in
certain cases, in order to protect rights and reputations, national
security or public order, it also noted none of these concerns applied
in the case of the French bill, and it would simply mean blocking the
expression of the view many Turks have regarding the 1915 incidents.
"The real issue at stake with this bill is not whether the large-scale
killings and forced displacement of Armenians in 1915 constituted a
genocide, but the French authorities' attempt to curtail freedom of
expression in response to that debate," added Duckworth.
The French Senate approval of the bill, which seeks to land a fine
of up to 45,000 euros and a prison sentence of up to one year upon
offenders, met with a similar reception from European liberals and
democrats, who deemed the move incomprehensible.
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff from Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP)
said in a statement the genocide-denial bill is an additional burden
on already strained Turkish-European relations, adding that apart
from a few, narrowly defined and politically justified exceptions,
assertions of historical facts should be left to historians and should
certainly not be made a crime.
Lambsdorff said the vote in the senate is all the more incomprehensible
because the alleged Turkish genocide of Armenians in 1915 is an
event in which France was not involved in any way. However, he
called on Turkey to show restraint, saying: "There is a risk that
Turkey might overreact, but for a country in the middle of accession
negotiations with the EU, it is important to react with moderation
and avoid adding to anti-Turkish sentiment. The lines must be kept
open between Ankara and Paris as this would inevitably impact wider
Turkish-European relations."
Also on Tuesday, US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said
the views of the US government were "very well-known," and Washington
D.C., shared with Paris its view on how it has "chosen to handle the
issue." Last April, when Armenians all over the world commemorated
the alleged Armenian genocide, US President Barack Obama gave a
much-expected speech in memory of the loss of Armenian lives in 1915
but stopped short of terming the killings genocide, in an attempt not
to harm the fragile balance between Turks and Armenians, both of whom
consider the events major building blocks of their national identities.
"Frankly, this is a matter between Turkey and France, and we want to
see good relations between them," Nuland stated, concerned over the
friction between the two countries. "They are both allies of the US,
and that's our message to both sides," she said, without elaborating
on whether the US would take part in easing the tension between
the nations.
Meanwhile, Andrew Duff from the United Kingdom's Liberal Democrats
said the French Parliament is wrong to play the role of a court. "The
definition of genocide is properly a judicial matter and should not
be reduced to the banality of party politics," said Duff, who is also
a member of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Previously, Jean-Vincent Place, leader of the Green Party that opposed
the bill, had claimed there had been serious pressure on senators to
vote in favor of the bill. "[Main opposition] Socialist Group leader
Francois Rebsamen phoned all senators who would vote against the bill
and asked them to stay home," Place told Today's Zaman, elaborating on
the pressure on senators to vote in favor of the denial bill. Bariza
Khiari, senate vice president, also claimed senators opposing the
bill, including herself, were under serious pressure for the three
days leading up to the vote on Monday.