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Cihan News Agency, Turkey
Jan 28 2015
"Armenian genocide" denial case puts Turkey's Perinçek against Mrs. Clooney
STRASBOURG - 28.01.2015 11:56:06
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) began on Wednesday an
appeal hearing launched by Switzerland against Turkey's Workers' Party
(Ä°P) Chairman DoÄ?u Perinçek, who was convicted by a Swiss court for
denying the Armenian claims of genocide, in a case that pits Turkey
against Switzerland and Armenia, which is represented in Strasbourg by
Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.
Ä°P leader Perinçek won an appeal at the European court against a Swiss
court decision to convict him for branding the claims of Armenian
genocide an `international lie' during a series of speeches in
Switzerland in 2007. The ECtHR said in its Dec. 17, 2013, decision
that the politician had exercised his `right to free speech.'
Switzerland, on the other hand, asked the ECtHR to review its decision
in 2014. The Grand Chamber of the Strasbourg-based court is reviewing
the court's earlier verdict on Wednesday. The court is not expected to
announce a verdict at the end of the hearing.
Around 200 people from Turkey gathered in front of the Strasbourg
court to show support for Perinçek. A group of political figures,
including former European Union Affairs Minister Egemen BaÄ?ıÅ?, former
Republican Peoples' Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and CHP deputy
chairman Haluk Koç, were also present at the hearing.
Turkey hailed the European court's initial decision to reverse the
Swiss ruling against Perinçek and is a co-defendant in the case.
Armenia, on the other hand, has joined the case as a co-plaintiff
along with a number of Armenian diaspora organizations.
Amal Clooney, a Lebanese-born British lawyer of international law and
human rights who became a household name when she tied the knot with
actor George Clooney in September 2014, is one of the lawyers in the
appeal case.
The ruling has implications for other European states such as France,
which have tried to criminalize the refusal to apply the term genocide
to the massacres of Armenians during the breakup of the Ottoman
Empire.
Turkey categorically denies the claims of Armenian genocide, saying
there were deaths on both sides when Armenians revolted against the
Ottoman Empire during the years of World War I to create their own
state in collaboration with the Russian forces then invading eastern
Anatolia.
The European court said in its December 2013 decision that the `free
exercise of the right to openly discuss questions of a sensitive and
controversial nature was one of the fundamental aspects of freedom of
expression and distinguished a tolerant and pluralistic democratic
society from a totalitarian or dictatorial regime."
Turkey has welcomed the ruling and said it expects the court to uphold
its judgment when its Grand Chamber reviews it.(Cihan/TZ)
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/-Armenian-genocide-denial-case-puts-Turkey-s-Perincek-against-Mrs-Clooney_3113-CHMTY2MzExMy80
Jan 28 2015
"Armenian genocide" denial case puts Turkey's Perinçek against Mrs. Clooney
STRASBOURG - 28.01.2015 11:56:06
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) began on Wednesday an
appeal hearing launched by Switzerland against Turkey's Workers' Party
(Ä°P) Chairman DoÄ?u Perinçek, who was convicted by a Swiss court for
denying the Armenian claims of genocide, in a case that pits Turkey
against Switzerland and Armenia, which is represented in Strasbourg by
Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.
Ä°P leader Perinçek won an appeal at the European court against a Swiss
court decision to convict him for branding the claims of Armenian
genocide an `international lie' during a series of speeches in
Switzerland in 2007. The ECtHR said in its Dec. 17, 2013, decision
that the politician had exercised his `right to free speech.'
Switzerland, on the other hand, asked the ECtHR to review its decision
in 2014. The Grand Chamber of the Strasbourg-based court is reviewing
the court's earlier verdict on Wednesday. The court is not expected to
announce a verdict at the end of the hearing.
Around 200 people from Turkey gathered in front of the Strasbourg
court to show support for Perinçek. A group of political figures,
including former European Union Affairs Minister Egemen BaÄ?ıÅ?, former
Republican Peoples' Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and CHP deputy
chairman Haluk Koç, were also present at the hearing.
Turkey hailed the European court's initial decision to reverse the
Swiss ruling against Perinçek and is a co-defendant in the case.
Armenia, on the other hand, has joined the case as a co-plaintiff
along with a number of Armenian diaspora organizations.
Amal Clooney, a Lebanese-born British lawyer of international law and
human rights who became a household name when she tied the knot with
actor George Clooney in September 2014, is one of the lawyers in the
appeal case.
The ruling has implications for other European states such as France,
which have tried to criminalize the refusal to apply the term genocide
to the massacres of Armenians during the breakup of the Ottoman
Empire.
Turkey categorically denies the claims of Armenian genocide, saying
there were deaths on both sides when Armenians revolted against the
Ottoman Empire during the years of World War I to create their own
state in collaboration with the Russian forces then invading eastern
Anatolia.
The European court said in its December 2013 decision that the `free
exercise of the right to openly discuss questions of a sensitive and
controversial nature was one of the fundamental aspects of freedom of
expression and distinguished a tolerant and pluralistic democratic
society from a totalitarian or dictatorial regime."
Turkey has welcomed the ruling and said it expects the court to uphold
its judgment when its Grand Chamber reviews it.(Cihan/TZ)
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/-Armenian-genocide-denial-case-puts-Turkey-s-Perincek-against-Mrs-Clooney_3113-CHMTY2MzExMy80