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AMNESTY SAYS FRENCH GENOCIDE BILL THREATENS FREE SPEECH
Today's Zaman
Jan 25 2012
Turkey
Human rights group Amnesty International has criticized a bill passed
this week in French Parliament to criminalize denial of the 1915
killing of Armenians in Anatolia as genocide, saying the legislation
violates freedom of expression.
The bill, passed in the French Senate on Monday night, sets a
punishment of up to one year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros
for those who deny or "outrageously minimize" such events. French
Parliament already passed a resolution describing the killings of
Armenians during World War I in eastern Anatolia as genocide.
Turkey, which denies the genocide charges saying there were many deaths
on both sides as Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire for
independence, has threatened to impose sanctions if the bill becomes
a law. The bill needs to be approved by President Nicolas Sarkozy,
who is known to back the measure, to go into effect, something French
officials said would take place within two weeks.
"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 statement released by
the Amnesty International on Tuesday. "People should be free to express
their opinions on this issue -- in France, Turkey and elsewhere."
Noting that Turkish laws penalizing description of the 1915 events
as genocide are also in violation of freedom of expression, the
Amnesty International official recalled that the European Court of
Human Rights has repeatedly held that freedom of expression applies
not only to inoffensive ideas, "but also to those that offend, shock
or disturb the State or any sector of the population."
"International human rights law allows for restrictions on the exercise
of freedom of expression if necessary and proportionate for certain
specific purposes including respect of the rights or reputations of
others or to protect national security or public order," the statement
read. "Amnesty International believes that neither of these applies in
this instance, and the new legislation would criminalize the exercise
of freedom of expression that is seen as 'outrageously' contesting
or trivializing historical events or their characterization."
Turkey has argued the bill would compromise freedom of expression in
France, with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu saying that "a
new ... Inquisition" will begin in Europe if each country's parliament
makes decisions based on its own views of history and implements them.
"European values are under threat," Davutoglu said earlier this week.
"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," Duckworth said. "French
authorities are failing to comply with their international human
rights obligations."
Today's Zaman
Jan 25 2012
Turkey
Human rights group Amnesty International has criticized a bill passed
this week in French Parliament to criminalize denial of the 1915
killing of Armenians in Anatolia as genocide, saying the legislation
violates freedom of expression.
The bill, passed in the French Senate on Monday night, sets a
punishment of up to one year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros
for those who deny or "outrageously minimize" such events. French
Parliament already passed a resolution describing the killings of
Armenians during World War I in eastern Anatolia as genocide.
Turkey, which denies the genocide charges saying there were many deaths
on both sides as Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire for
independence, has threatened to impose sanctions if the bill becomes
a law. The bill needs to be approved by President Nicolas Sarkozy,
who is known to back the measure, to go into effect, something French
officials said would take place within two weeks.
"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 statement released by
the Amnesty International on Tuesday. "People should be free to express
their opinions on this issue -- in France, Turkey and elsewhere."
Noting that Turkish laws penalizing description of the 1915 events
as genocide are also in violation of freedom of expression, the
Amnesty International official recalled that the European Court of
Human Rights has repeatedly held that freedom of expression applies
not only to inoffensive ideas, "but also to those that offend, shock
or disturb the State or any sector of the population."
"International human rights law allows for restrictions on the exercise
of freedom of expression if necessary and proportionate for certain
specific purposes including respect of the rights or reputations of
others or to protect national security or public order," the statement
read. "Amnesty International believes that neither of these applies in
this instance, and the new legislation would criminalize the exercise
of freedom of expression that is seen as 'outrageously' contesting
or trivializing historical events or their characterization."
Turkey has argued the bill would compromise freedom of expression in
France, with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu saying that "a
new ... Inquisition" will begin in Europe if each country's parliament
makes decisions based on its own views of history and implements them.
"European values are under threat," Davutoglu said earlier this week.
"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," Duckworth said. "French
authorities are failing to comply with their international human
rights obligations."