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Armenian President: Denial of Armenian Genocide turns present-day
Turkish authorities into accomplices to the crime committed by Young
Turks
by Nana Martirosyan
Thursday, January 29, 17:28
A number of countries have already accepted Armenia's invitation to
attend the events commemorating the 100th year of the Armenian
Genocide, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said on Thursday during
the 5th meeting of the National Committee for the Commemoration of the
Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
Sargsyan said that some countries are going to send governmental
delegations. Others will attend the events to be organized by local
Armenian communities.
The Armenian President believes that the scale of the events and the
number of those present are especially important now that Turkish
President Recep Erdogan has appeared with a cynical and short-sighted
invitation to attend the celebrations of the 100th year of the Turks'
victory in the Gallipoli Battle.
"They say that in politics all means will do, but in this particular
case Ankara has harmed its own self. Once I received that indecent
invitation, I hurried to publicly respond to it so as to prevent any
improper comments from international mass media. I think my response
and the reaction of the Turkish society have proved that it was an
injudicious initiative," Sargsyan said.
He believes that Erdogan's invitation was as unjustified as are all
forms of denial. "Denial is not only a complex of political
incometence but also a legal category. It turns the present-day
Turkish authorities into accomplices to the horrible crime committed
by their predecessors," the Armenian President said.
The President also pointed out that on Jan 28 Turkey was denying the
Genocide at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), when it tried
to present the case of the criminal nationalist repeatedly convicted
at the Turkish Court, Dogu Perincek, as the Court's legal view of the
Armenian Genocide. Sargsyan said that Armenia is participating in the
hearing as a third party. The Grand Chamber of the ECHR will decide
whether the Swiss legislation on the Genocide denial complies with the
European Convention on Human Rights.
"This is an important verdict for us, because we are sure that the
Genocide denial is a possible signal for reoccurrence of such crimes.
In the meantime, we do no think that the Perincek case is case about
legal recognition or denial of the Genocide. As people, who suffered
from the Genocide, we have never applied to court because we don't
consider it to be an issue of the ECHR's jurisdiction, however, the
Turkish propaganda will present it as its own victory in any case", he
said. The President noted that the Turkish side did not even hesitate
to release Perincek from prison or permit his departure so that he
could be present at the ECHR's session.
A hearing on the "Perincek vs. Switzerland" case was held at the
Strasbourg court's 17-member Grand Chamber on January 28. The verdict
will be announced in 6-8 months. In 2007, the Swiss court had
convicted Dogu Perincek under Article 216 of the Criminal Code for
denying the Armenian Genocide, subjecting him to financial and
criminal liability.
The Court of Appeals of Vaud Canton and the Federal Supreme Court had
denied the appeal submitted against the given verdict. On December 17,
2013, the ECHR ruled in favor of Perincek's lawsuit that was filed
against Switzerland, according to which Swiss courts had violated
Perincek's right to freedom of speech. On March 11, Switzerland's
Federal Office of Justice had informed that Switzerland was preparing
to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) with the demand
for the Grand Chamber to reconsider Perincek's case. The ECHR had sent
the case to the Grand Chamber prior to March 17. On August 25, Armenia
filed an application to participate in the trial. Turkey had also
filed an application to participate. Armenia and Turkey participate in
the hearings as third parties.
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=240C88A0-A7C3-11E4-89000EB7C0D21663
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Turkish authorities into accomplices to the crime committed by Young
Turks
by Nana Martirosyan
Thursday, January 29, 17:28
A number of countries have already accepted Armenia's invitation to
attend the events commemorating the 100th year of the Armenian
Genocide, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said on Thursday during
the 5th meeting of the National Committee for the Commemoration of the
Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
Sargsyan said that some countries are going to send governmental
delegations. Others will attend the events to be organized by local
Armenian communities.
The Armenian President believes that the scale of the events and the
number of those present are especially important now that Turkish
President Recep Erdogan has appeared with a cynical and short-sighted
invitation to attend the celebrations of the 100th year of the Turks'
victory in the Gallipoli Battle.
"They say that in politics all means will do, but in this particular
case Ankara has harmed its own self. Once I received that indecent
invitation, I hurried to publicly respond to it so as to prevent any
improper comments from international mass media. I think my response
and the reaction of the Turkish society have proved that it was an
injudicious initiative," Sargsyan said.
He believes that Erdogan's invitation was as unjustified as are all
forms of denial. "Denial is not only a complex of political
incometence but also a legal category. It turns the present-day
Turkish authorities into accomplices to the horrible crime committed
by their predecessors," the Armenian President said.
The President also pointed out that on Jan 28 Turkey was denying the
Genocide at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), when it tried
to present the case of the criminal nationalist repeatedly convicted
at the Turkish Court, Dogu Perincek, as the Court's legal view of the
Armenian Genocide. Sargsyan said that Armenia is participating in the
hearing as a third party. The Grand Chamber of the ECHR will decide
whether the Swiss legislation on the Genocide denial complies with the
European Convention on Human Rights.
"This is an important verdict for us, because we are sure that the
Genocide denial is a possible signal for reoccurrence of such crimes.
In the meantime, we do no think that the Perincek case is case about
legal recognition or denial of the Genocide. As people, who suffered
from the Genocide, we have never applied to court because we don't
consider it to be an issue of the ECHR's jurisdiction, however, the
Turkish propaganda will present it as its own victory in any case", he
said. The President noted that the Turkish side did not even hesitate
to release Perincek from prison or permit his departure so that he
could be present at the ECHR's session.
A hearing on the "Perincek vs. Switzerland" case was held at the
Strasbourg court's 17-member Grand Chamber on January 28. The verdict
will be announced in 6-8 months. In 2007, the Swiss court had
convicted Dogu Perincek under Article 216 of the Criminal Code for
denying the Armenian Genocide, subjecting him to financial and
criminal liability.
The Court of Appeals of Vaud Canton and the Federal Supreme Court had
denied the appeal submitted against the given verdict. On December 17,
2013, the ECHR ruled in favor of Perincek's lawsuit that was filed
against Switzerland, according to which Swiss courts had violated
Perincek's right to freedom of speech. On March 11, Switzerland's
Federal Office of Justice had informed that Switzerland was preparing
to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) with the demand
for the Grand Chamber to reconsider Perincek's case. The ECHR had sent
the case to the Grand Chamber prior to March 17. On August 25, Armenia
filed an application to participate in the trial. Turkey had also
filed an application to participate. Armenia and Turkey participate in
the hearings as third parties.
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=240C88A0-A7C3-11E4-89000EB7C0D21663
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress