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Azerbaijan Presidential Administration: French Senateâ€™s decision deteriorates political situation in the South Caucasus

24 January 2012 10:23 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Chief of Political Analysis and Information Department of the Azerbaijanâ€™s Presidential Administration Elnur Aslanov comments on the decision of the French Senate to criminalize the denial of the so-called â€œArmenian genocideâ€. â€œThe decision of the French Senate to criminalize the denial of the so-called â€˜Armenian genocideâ€™ goes contrary to the main principle of democracy and violates the natural human right for freedom of expression and thoughtâ€, said Elnur Aslanov. â€œThis law can be characterized as a result of ill-intentioned activity of the senators who are under the influence of Armenian lobby and ruling party. It has no legal and moral basis. There are enough arguments which make the adoption of law impossible.

Thus, the Constitutional Court can abolish this law because its contradiction to French Constitution. It violates the principle of the partition of sovereignty. The lawmaking organization can not be an administrative power and it can not adopt any law making its functions banal. How the judges ensuring the implementation of the law will determine the components of the crime? There is no international jurisprudence concerning the genocide claims. Today even the French citizens dissenting with the approach of a group of French politicians found themselves in the atmosphere of pressure on personality. A small group of politicians rather relying on the situation before the election process than on the strategic interests of the country have thus seized the control over freedom of expression in France.

It is regretful that such decisions are passed in the countries that call themselves the â€˜cradle of democracyâ€™ and try to teach others how to live. The most rational approach in this case would be letting historians discuss this issue. This has repeatedly been stated by the Turkish side and dismissed by the Armenian party.

Such steps taken by the French senators further deteriorate the complex enough situation in relations between Turkey and Armenia, they deadlock possible normalization and untie the hands of Armenian nationalists at power. Millions of dollars intended by sponsors of the Zurich process for the Armenian-Turkish normalization, hundreds of meetings and press-tours have practically been in vain. Will the recognition of the â€˜genocideâ€™ promote the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia? The answer is clear.

In brief, France has doomed Armenia to poor and disintegrated coexistence in the region.

On the other hand, based on the same logic, French senators must also recognize the genocide of civilians in Khojaly where more than 600 people were brutally murdered by Armenian vandals. In turn, Azerbaijan has always supported and will continue supporting Turkey. We condemn the adoption of this decision by the Senate. Such decisions can hardly be forgottenâ€.