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Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Jan 27 2012
Clinton: We Are Never Going To Go Down That Path To Criminalize Speech
Friday, 27 January 2012 08:16 .
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said regarding the bill
adopted by French Senate to make it a crime to deny Armenian
allegations on the Ottoman era incidents of 1915 that she hoped that
they were never going to go down that path to criminalize speech.
Replying to a question on the United States' stance regarding the
French bill criminalizing the denial of Armenian allegations, Clinton
said, "first, one of our great strengths is we do not criminalize
speech. People can say nearly anything they choose, and they do, in
our country. And so other countries, including close friends and
allies like France, have different standards, different histories, but
we are, I hope, never going to go down that path to criminalize
speech."
"I think it's fair to say that this has always been viewed, and I
think properly so, as a matter of historical debate and conclusions
rather than political. And I think that is the right posture for the
United States Government to be in, because whatever the terrible event
might be or the high emotions that it represents, to try to use
government power to resolve historical issues, I think, opens a door
that is a very dangerous one to go through," she said.
The bill penalizes denial of the Armenian allegations with a prison
term of one year and a fine of 45 thousand euros.
AA
From: A. Papazian
Jan 27 2012
Clinton: We Are Never Going To Go Down That Path To Criminalize Speech
Friday, 27 January 2012 08:16 .
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said regarding the bill
adopted by French Senate to make it a crime to deny Armenian
allegations on the Ottoman era incidents of 1915 that she hoped that
they were never going to go down that path to criminalize speech.
Replying to a question on the United States' stance regarding the
French bill criminalizing the denial of Armenian allegations, Clinton
said, "first, one of our great strengths is we do not criminalize
speech. People can say nearly anything they choose, and they do, in
our country. And so other countries, including close friends and
allies like France, have different standards, different histories, but
we are, I hope, never going to go down that path to criminalize
speech."
"I think it's fair to say that this has always been viewed, and I
think properly so, as a matter of historical debate and conclusions
rather than political. And I think that is the right posture for the
United States Government to be in, because whatever the terrible event
might be or the high emotions that it represents, to try to use
government power to resolve historical issues, I think, opens a door
that is a very dangerous one to go through," she said.
The bill penalizes denial of the Armenian allegations with a prison
term of one year and a fine of 45 thousand euros.
AA
From: A. Papazian