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FRENCH RULING NO END TO PROCESS - ANALYST
Tert.am
29.02.12
The French Constitutional Court's ruling to declare the bill penalizing
the denial of genocides unconstitutional is unlikely to put an end
to the process, according to an Armenian analyst.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Karen Bekaryan, the president of
the local NGO European Integratgion, said the developments worldwide
might have caused the French lawmakers to adopt such a ruling.
"Today, the European community is a little bit critical of security
and human rights related issues," he explained.
Another reason, according to the expert, is the political period
in France.
"If France were not in the run-up to a [presidential] election, the
issue might have received a greater attention that would cause the
existing element of anxiety to vanish," he said.
Bekaryan noted further that the ruling is not be a tragedy for him
likewise the passage of bill by the French Senate was not a victory.
On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill with a vote of 127 in
favor and 86 against (the draft applies to all the crimes of genocide
recognized by the French Republic. Apart from the Armenian Genocide,
France has also recognized the Jewish Holocaust, whose denial has
been criminalized in the country). If enacted, the bill would impose
a one-year prison sentence and a fine of ~@45,000 on anyone publicly
denying the Armenian Genocide.
Tert.am
29.02.12
The French Constitutional Court's ruling to declare the bill penalizing
the denial of genocides unconstitutional is unlikely to put an end
to the process, according to an Armenian analyst.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Karen Bekaryan, the president of
the local NGO European Integratgion, said the developments worldwide
might have caused the French lawmakers to adopt such a ruling.
"Today, the European community is a little bit critical of security
and human rights related issues," he explained.
Another reason, according to the expert, is the political period
in France.
"If France were not in the run-up to a [presidential] election, the
issue might have received a greater attention that would cause the
existing element of anxiety to vanish," he said.
Bekaryan noted further that the ruling is not be a tragedy for him
likewise the passage of bill by the French Senate was not a victory.
On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill with a vote of 127 in
favor and 86 against (the draft applies to all the crimes of genocide
recognized by the French Republic. Apart from the Armenian Genocide,
France has also recognized the Jewish Holocaust, whose denial has
been criminalized in the country). If enacted, the bill would impose
a one-year prison sentence and a fine of ~@45,000 on anyone publicly
denying the Armenian Genocide.