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Recognition: Greece and France renew campaign to criminalize genocide denial
Genocide | 05.09.14 | 16:36
Photo: www.wikipedia.org
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Approaching the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, a number of
countries continue adopting laws condemning the genocide, claiming
that rejecting it results in new crimes in the modern world, such as
the crime toward Christians and Yezidi in Iraq.
On September 2 French parliamentarian Valerie Boyer wrote on his
official website that he introduced a new bill that would punish
denial of the Armenian Genocide, mentioning that there is no law in
France condemning the rejection of the Armenian genocide and crimes
against humanity, such as the Holocaust.
"Until today France has officially recognized two genocides - the
Armenian and the Jewish, but only the rejection of the Holocaust is
punished by law," Boyer wrote reflecting on the bloody events in Iraq,
mentioning that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon evaluated those
events as crimes against humanity.
In 2011 Boyer's bill on denial was accepted by the parliament and the
senate, but was not accepted by the Constitutional Court, considering
that rejection is a part of the right of freedom of speech. Boyer
mentioned that the text of the bill will soon appear on the
parliamentary website.
This year at the memorial ceremony of the Armenian Genocide victims in
Paris the French President Francois Hollande said that he will be in
Yerevan on April 24, 2015 to commemorate the centennial of the
Genocide.
According to Nouvelles d'Armenie, in his speech Hollande mentioned
that "This tragedy has a name, only one name - Genocide; there is no
other name to it. I will contribute to the Armenian Genocide's
recognition in the world."
On September 3 the Greek parliament took up discussion of a bill
against denying genocide denial.
According to Associated Press, the bill in circulation penalizes
rejection of the Holocaust, as well as it enlarges prosecutorial
powers against hatred of others, in the war against crimes on grounds
of national heritage.
To ban the rejection of the Armenian Genocide the government led by
conservatives meets opposition from the left and some legislatives.
The latter do not want such a point to be included in the bill.
The chairman of the Armenian Assembly of Greece, Hakob Avagyan told
Freedom radio station that they are not sure yet but the rejection of
the Armenian Genocide must be condemned.
"It is highly probable that from now on there must be a law in Greece
which condemns the Armenian Genocide. I think that we will have good
news on Friday from Greece," Avagyan said.
The bill is expected to be put to discussion on the weekend.
http://armenianow.com/genocide/56641/armenian_genocide_vlaerie_boyer_francois_hollande
Genocide | 05.09.14 | 16:36
Photo: www.wikipedia.org
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Approaching the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, a number of
countries continue adopting laws condemning the genocide, claiming
that rejecting it results in new crimes in the modern world, such as
the crime toward Christians and Yezidi in Iraq.
On September 2 French parliamentarian Valerie Boyer wrote on his
official website that he introduced a new bill that would punish
denial of the Armenian Genocide, mentioning that there is no law in
France condemning the rejection of the Armenian genocide and crimes
against humanity, such as the Holocaust.
"Until today France has officially recognized two genocides - the
Armenian and the Jewish, but only the rejection of the Holocaust is
punished by law," Boyer wrote reflecting on the bloody events in Iraq,
mentioning that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon evaluated those
events as crimes against humanity.
In 2011 Boyer's bill on denial was accepted by the parliament and the
senate, but was not accepted by the Constitutional Court, considering
that rejection is a part of the right of freedom of speech. Boyer
mentioned that the text of the bill will soon appear on the
parliamentary website.
This year at the memorial ceremony of the Armenian Genocide victims in
Paris the French President Francois Hollande said that he will be in
Yerevan on April 24, 2015 to commemorate the centennial of the
Genocide.
According to Nouvelles d'Armenie, in his speech Hollande mentioned
that "This tragedy has a name, only one name - Genocide; there is no
other name to it. I will contribute to the Armenian Genocide's
recognition in the world."
On September 3 the Greek parliament took up discussion of a bill
against denying genocide denial.
According to Associated Press, the bill in circulation penalizes
rejection of the Holocaust, as well as it enlarges prosecutorial
powers against hatred of others, in the war against crimes on grounds
of national heritage.
To ban the rejection of the Armenian Genocide the government led by
conservatives meets opposition from the left and some legislatives.
The latter do not want such a point to be included in the bill.
The chairman of the Armenian Assembly of Greece, Hakob Avagyan told
Freedom radio station that they are not sure yet but the rejection of
the Armenian Genocide must be condemned.
"It is highly probable that from now on there must be a law in Greece
which condemns the Armenian Genocide. I think that we will have good
news on Friday from Greece," Avagyan said.
The bill is expected to be put to discussion on the weekend.
http://armenianow.com/genocide/56641/armenian_genocide_vlaerie_boyer_francois_hollande