LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION OF THE FRENCH PARLIAMENT TURNS DOWN DRAFT ON PENALTY FOR GENOCIDE DENIAL
By Hakob Chakrian

AZG Armenian Daily
12/05/2006

Armenian-born Journalists Join Resistance of the Bill

Wednesday May 10, the Legislative Commission of the French Parliament
turned down the draft aiming at penalizing the negation of the Armenian
Genocide. If passed, those denying the Genocide would face 1 year in
jail or a fine of 45.000 euros. Regardless the Commission’s decision,
the bill will be discussed at an additional sitting of the French
parliament. The country’s Senate also has to approve the bill in
order to put it into practice.

Though the bill was rejected by the Legislative Commission, Turkish
political circles think it is likely to become a law, and Turkish
authorities backed by 9 intellectuals and executives are taking action.

Days before the refusal of the Legislative Commission, French-based
Turkish organizations and unions published an open letter in French
papers to block adoption of the bill.

After the publication, the foreign relations committee at the Turkish
Parliament sent a deceleration headed by committee chairman Mehmed
Dulger to Paris that currently negotiates with French lawmakers.

It must noted that before sending the delegations to Paris, Turkish
Foreign Ministry had called its ambassadors to France and Canada to
Ankara on May 8.

Aydemir Erman, Turkish ambassador to Canada, was called to Ankara
in connection with Canadian prime minister Stefan Harper’s “Armenian
genocide” wording in his April 21 statement.

Among the 9 intellectuals supporting the Turkish government to
block the bill were Ahmed Insal, Elif Safaq, Halil Berktay, Myuge
Guceq, Ragep Zaraqolu, participants of the workshop on Armenian
genocide’s 90th anniversary Basken Oran and Murad Belge as well as
Turkish-Armenians Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of Agos daily and Zaman
columnist Etien Mahchupian.

In a letter to French daily Le Liberacion they wrote: “Despite its aim,
this bill will damage the process of thoughts exchange over historic
issues and will stymie the activity of those trying to push forward
this process in Turkey.” This draft, they claim, is an assault on
freedom of speech and thought.

Interestingly, the French daily published the letter free of charge.