Federation of Armenian organisations in the Netherlands (FAON)
Address: Weesperstreet 91, The Hague, The Netherlands
Telephone: +31704490209
Contact: M. Hakhverdian
Website:
E-mail: armfed@gmail.com

Press Release

ARMENIAN FEDERATION WELCOMES FRENCH LAW

The Hague – The Federation of Armenian Organisations in the Netherlands
(FAON) is glad that the French National Assembly in large majority has
adopted a bill, which makes denial of the Armenian Genocide a crime. Denying
the holocaust has been a crime in France since 1990.

The Federation believes that with such a provision a dam is raised against
denial propaganda of the Turkish government, which is painful for the
Armenians.

Also in the Netherlands such denial material is spread, on internet sites,
in writings and also in the public debate. For victims and their surviving
descendants it is cause for problems each time. On basis of the
discrimination prohibition in the Criminal Code such remarks are in
principle already a crime. It would be a major improvement if the Dutch
legislation would make it explicitly clear that public expressions, where
genocides are systematically denied with the intention to hurt or
discriminate people, will be impossible in The Netherlands. The Federation
hopes, therefore, that the initiative bill submitted by Mrs.
Huizinga-Heringa, Member of Parliament of Christian Union faction, which
foresees the punishment of the genocide denial, will be adopted by the House
of Representatives.

The Federation emphasises for sake of completeness that this Dutch bill is
not directed to the denial in itself, as it is suggested sometimes in the
media, but to the offending or discriminating aspects of genocide denials.
Such denials stand in any case never in itself, but have always link with
discriminating or heinously treat of populations. We must not tolerate such
expressions in The Netherlands.