AMBASSADOR’S GENOCIDE DENIAL CASE DELAYED
By Ali Ihsan Aydin, Paris
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 26 2006
A lawsuit opened against Turkish Ambassador to Paris Aydin Sezgin
has once again been delayed because of problems with the court’s
computer system.
Following a ‘computer breakdown,’ the Paris Court of Appeals delayed
its verdict in a lawsuit opened by Armenians against Sezgin for openly
denying the alleged Armenian genocide on the embassy’s website.
The court stated that it would announce its verdict on November 8.
Internet service provider (ISP) France Telecom is also being tried
along with Sezgin for their role in publishing the information.
The case, which Ambassador Sezgin is strongly favored to win because
of his diplomatic immunity, is notable in terms of the anticipated
verdict on France Telecom.
The Paris Civil Court of First Instance, the first authority to
discuss the case, ruled that Sezgin could not be tried because of
his diplomatic immunity and France Telecom was not punishable by law
because the 2001 Armenian genocide law does not carry any sanctions.
The delay reportedly came about because of another ongoing lawsuit
the same day, again opened by Armenians, against an encyclopedia
named Quid for its alleged "pro-Turkish" version of the 1915 events.
The court had previously confirmed that the Sezgin verdict would
be delivered yesterday. However, judicial circles in France, who
are very interested in the case, associated the delay with France’s
yet-unclear policy on the Armenian genocide and its indecision over
how to tackle the problem.
The government is reported to be in close contact with the court in
regard to the issue.
Armenian associations have been seeking to convict ‘deniers’ by
interpreting other laws in ways that suit their purpose.
At yesterday’s hearing, the prosecution asked the court to punish
Quid according to Article 1382 of the French Civil Code, which covers
civil liability for offences related to violations of privacy.
The first court that handled the case had found Quid guilty according
to this article.