PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian Genocide denier Perincek to appeal against court’s verdict
10.03.2007 13:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Leader of Turkish Workers’ Party Dogu Perincek, who
was convicted for racial discrimination for denying the 1915 Armenian
Genocide, is going to appeal against Lausanne court verdict in the
Strasbourg Court of Human Rights. `I shall appeal against this
verdict. I still believe in Swiss justice. We shall go till the end,
and if necessary we will turn to the European Court of Human Rights,’
Perincek stated to an Anatolian agency.

Being in Switzerland in 2005 Perincek twice declared that the Armenian
Genocide is an `international lie’. During the process judge
Pier-Anri Winzap said those statements were `of unconcealed racist and
nationalistic character. And there are no mitigating circumstances in
defendant’s actions’. Perincek himself was characterized as an
`arrogant provocateur’ by the judge. He stressed that although the
Armenian Genocide issue is not included in the list of similar crimes
by the International Court, it is a `historical fact, which was
recognized by the Swiss society, and Perincek’s statements were of
provocative character’.

The court in Lausanne agreed with the prosecutor’s demand and handed
Perincek a suspended fine of SFr 9,000 ($7,336) as well as a one-off
financial penalty of SFr 3,000. The court also ruled that Perincek
would have to pay SFr 1,000 to the Swiss-Armenian Association as a
symbolic gesture, which appeared as civil plaintiff. Perincek has to
pay all costs, which exceed SFr 15 000. According to the Swiss law of
anti-racist discrimination the defendant also was threatened by 3
years of imprisonment, NEWSru.com reports.