Tweet
Europe Online
Jan 28 2015
European court hears case of Armenian genocide denier
Europe
28.01.2015
Paris (dpa) - The European Court of Human Rights heard arguments
Wednesday in a case brought by a Turkish politician convicted of
racial discrimination in Switzerland for denying the existence of the
Armenian genocide.
Dogu Perincek, 72, called the idea of a genocide against the Armenian
people by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 an "international lie" during a
conference he attended in Switzerland as a member of the Turkish
Workers' Party.
The remarks prompted a criminal complaint from the Switzerland-Armenia
association, and Perincek was found guilty in 2007 by a Lausanne court
of racial discrimination for his purported counter-historical
statements.
Perincek appealed to the regional court on the grounds that the
decision in Switzerland violated his freedom of expression.
Wednesday's proceedings were partially overshadowed by media interest
in one of the members of counsel for the defence, human rights lawyer
Amal Clooney, whose husband is the well-known actor George Clooney.
While a decision in the case is not expected for many months, the
hearings underscore political tension around the genocide even as
100th anniversary commemorations are organized.
More than 20 countries have officially recognized the genocide as a
historical event, while many Turkish leaders vehemently deny it.
Between 1 million and 1.5 million Armenians are believed to have
perished during systematic executions and forced labour carried out by
the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
The European Court of Human Rights was set up in 1959 to rule on
alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is
not part of the European Union institutions.
http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/european-court-hears-case-of-armenian-genocide-denier_374689.html
From: Baghdasarian
Jan 28 2015
European court hears case of Armenian genocide denier
Europe
28.01.2015
Paris (dpa) - The European Court of Human Rights heard arguments
Wednesday in a case brought by a Turkish politician convicted of
racial discrimination in Switzerland for denying the existence of the
Armenian genocide.
Dogu Perincek, 72, called the idea of a genocide against the Armenian
people by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 an "international lie" during a
conference he attended in Switzerland as a member of the Turkish
Workers' Party.
The remarks prompted a criminal complaint from the Switzerland-Armenia
association, and Perincek was found guilty in 2007 by a Lausanne court
of racial discrimination for his purported counter-historical
statements.
Perincek appealed to the regional court on the grounds that the
decision in Switzerland violated his freedom of expression.
Wednesday's proceedings were partially overshadowed by media interest
in one of the members of counsel for the defence, human rights lawyer
Amal Clooney, whose husband is the well-known actor George Clooney.
While a decision in the case is not expected for many months, the
hearings underscore political tension around the genocide even as
100th anniversary commemorations are organized.
More than 20 countries have officially recognized the genocide as a
historical event, while many Turkish leaders vehemently deny it.
Between 1 million and 1.5 million Armenians are believed to have
perished during systematic executions and forced labour carried out by
the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
The European Court of Human Rights was set up in 1959 to rule on
alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is
not part of the European Union institutions.
http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/european-court-hears-case-of-armenian-genocide-denier_374689.html
From: Baghdasarian