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Franceâ€™s Senate turns down draft law on punishment for denial made-up â€œArmenian genocideâ€

04 May 2011 20:45 (UTC +04:00)

The given draft law was initiated for general discussion by Senateâ€™s member from the socialist group, headed by Serge Lagos, comprising of the Socialist and Communist parties, which are in opposition. In the discussions, which lasted about three hours, S. Lagos delivered speech first who noted the necessity of adoption of this document by the Senate, and called his colleagues to vote for this bill. However, after Lagos Jean Jacques Hyest reported on behalf of Senateâ€™s legislative committee, he said that adoption of new bill on punishment for denial the made-up â€œArmenian genocideâ€ would cause for a number of problems.

The senator said that this bill mismatches with the â€œlegality of the crime and penaltyâ€ principle of the Constitution: â€œSo the â€œArmenian genocideâ€, in contrast to the Jewish genocide, has neither validity nor decision in any international documentâ€. He also noted the contradiction of the bill on punishment for denial the made-up â€œArmenian genocideâ€ to the European Convention on Human Rights and the principles of freedom of speech and ideas. Senator Hyest reminded that in the opinion of the French Foreign Ministry, in case of bill adoption, France would face with difficult situation in front of the countries that suffered from the tragedies in the history, and these countries will require France to adopt the same bills. Thus, on behalf of the committee Jean-Jacques Hyest expressed Committeeâ€™s objection on adoption of the document and called the Senators unanimously to oppose it.

Then the French Minister of Justice Michel Mersye unveiled government’s position to this issue. The minister also called the adoption of the bill wrong and appealed to the Senate to make a responsible decision. In the background of the â€œArmenian genocideâ€ issue, he touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, brought into senatorsâ€™ attention that Armenia still keeps Azerbaijanâ€™s territories under occupation.

Senate centrist group member, Ms. Natalie Qule reminded that the Armenians, who claim as if they were subjected to the massacreâ€ had occupied 20% of Azerbaijanâ€™s territory during the Karabakh conflict as a result of which 1 million of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs had been exiled from their native lands. She reminded the massacre committed by Armenians in Khojaly, how brutally they killed women, children and old men, it happened not in 1915 and in near 1992.
Ms. Qule said that all centrist members of the group, represented in the Senate, would vote against the proposal, put forward by the legislative Committee â€“ expressed her hope for the soonest settlement of all the conflicts especially the forgotten Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Ms. Senator said that despite French President Nicolas Sarkozy would announce his visit to the region, but it still remains unrealized. She also said that this visit would promote in resolution of the conflict.

In general, most of the senators, who participated in the discussions, clamor against the adoption of the draft law by the Senate. The senators from the ruling party noted that adoption of the bill would negatively influence on the relations not only with Turkey, and Azerbaijan as well. They reminded that France is one of co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and adoption of such document by French Senate is not advisable. In addition, as the legislative body of the Senate, the senators have repeatedly noted that discussion of this issue is a work of historians, and adoption of this document by Senate contradicts to the Constitution of the country. Those who supported the adoption of the document were members of the Socialist group.

As inclusion of the draft law in the agenda was turned down, the document was handed over to the lower house of the parliament â€“ it will be sent back to the National Assembly.

Recall that on April 13, the Constitutional Commission of the Senate deprecated the legislative body, and noted that in case of adoption of the bill itâ€™d contradict to French Constitution and freedom of speech and would lead to spoiling of the relations with Turkey.

Off note, on October 12, 2006, the French National Assembly adopted the draft law on punishment for denial made-up â€œArmenian genocideâ€ that provides 1 year of imprisonment and fine of 45.000 Euros.

Besides it, France officially recognized made-up â€œArmenian genocideâ€ by adoption of the law on January 29, 2001.