MP: FRANCE SUCCESSFULLY PASSES EXAM ON DEMOCRACY
Trend
March 1 2012
Azerbaijan
March 01--Repeal by the Constitutional Council of France of the
law criminalizing the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide"
is the success of French democracy, French culture, deputy chairman
of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee Aydin Mirzazade
told Trend on Wednesday.
"Oddly enough, but a country with a thousand-year history of statehood,
the experience of democracy, had to re-take the exam on democracy
and statehood, which it successfully managed to pass," the MP said.
The decision of the Constitutional Council of France returned to
France its legal, democratic and cultural identity, said Mr Mirzazade.
He noted repealed law would return people to medieval times, when
someone was arrested or punished by a fine for what he thought
otherwise, and the adoption by such a state as France of this bill
was met with surprise in the world.
"It was a decision of a small part of France. In the National Assembly
the bill was approved by the paltry number of MPs, despite the fact
that the overwhelming majority of parliamentarians were simply not
present during consideration of the question. Opponents of the bill
had their say, turning to the Constitutional Council of France,"
Mr Mirzazade said.
The progressive international community, which, together with Turkey
and Azerbaijan, protested against the adoption of this law played
important role in this issue, the MP said.
"One of the most important results is that the latest decision of
the court of France became a slap in the face of Armenian nationalist
circles. The Armenian diaspora organizations are very strong in France,
and they hoped to spread around the world this anti-democratic decision
of France. The decision of the Constitutional Council showed that
it would never allow to oppose the racist mentality of a minority to
France's national interests," the MP stressed.
The Constitutional Court of France repealed a law criminalizing denial
of the so-called "Armenian genocide" on Tuesday.
The Council justified it by the fact that the law contradicts Article
33 of the Constitution of France and freedom of speech.
Following this decision, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered
the government to prepare a new bill criminalizing denial of the
so-called "Armenian genocide".
On Jan 23, after an eight-hour debate, the Senate adopted the bill
criminalizing denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide". Some 127
senators voted in favor, while 86 voted against.
The bill demands a year's imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euro for
denying the so-called genocide.
Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the
Turkey -- Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against
the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the
"Armenian Genocide" by the parliaments of several countries.
Trend
March 1 2012
Azerbaijan
March 01--Repeal by the Constitutional Council of France of the
law criminalizing the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide"
is the success of French democracy, French culture, deputy chairman
of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee Aydin Mirzazade
told Trend on Wednesday.
"Oddly enough, but a country with a thousand-year history of statehood,
the experience of democracy, had to re-take the exam on democracy
and statehood, which it successfully managed to pass," the MP said.
The decision of the Constitutional Council of France returned to
France its legal, democratic and cultural identity, said Mr Mirzazade.
He noted repealed law would return people to medieval times, when
someone was arrested or punished by a fine for what he thought
otherwise, and the adoption by such a state as France of this bill
was met with surprise in the world.
"It was a decision of a small part of France. In the National Assembly
the bill was approved by the paltry number of MPs, despite the fact
that the overwhelming majority of parliamentarians were simply not
present during consideration of the question. Opponents of the bill
had their say, turning to the Constitutional Council of France,"
Mr Mirzazade said.
The progressive international community, which, together with Turkey
and Azerbaijan, protested against the adoption of this law played
important role in this issue, the MP said.
"One of the most important results is that the latest decision of
the court of France became a slap in the face of Armenian nationalist
circles. The Armenian diaspora organizations are very strong in France,
and they hoped to spread around the world this anti-democratic decision
of France. The decision of the Constitutional Council showed that
it would never allow to oppose the racist mentality of a minority to
France's national interests," the MP stressed.
The Constitutional Court of France repealed a law criminalizing denial
of the so-called "Armenian genocide" on Tuesday.
The Council justified it by the fact that the law contradicts Article
33 of the Constitution of France and freedom of speech.
Following this decision, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered
the government to prepare a new bill criminalizing denial of the
so-called "Armenian genocide".
On Jan 23, after an eight-hour debate, the Senate adopted the bill
criminalizing denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide". Some 127
senators voted in favor, while 86 voted against.
The bill demands a year's imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euro for
denying the so-called genocide.
Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the
Turkey -- Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against
the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the
"Armenian Genocide" by the parliaments of several countries.