ARMENIANS URGE EU TO ECHO SWISS ‘GENOCIDE’ RULING

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 13 2007

Buoyed by a Swiss court’s decision condemning Doðu Perincek, chairman
of the Turkish Workers’ Party, for denying the Armenian "genocide,"
the Armenian lobby has called on the European Union to follow suit
and also criminalize genocide denial.

In a written statement yesterday the European Armenian Federation
called the Swiss verdict "an unprecedented legal victory." This is
the first time a court has given a verdict on the Armenian "genocide"
and is also the first time the alleged genocide has been recognized
by a court of criminal law.

EU president Germany wants to criminalize the denial of recognized
genocides, war crimes and crimes against humanity under a pan-EU law,
with prison sentences for offenders of between one and three years.

Though the Armenian lobby strongly supports the bid, several member
states like Britain, Italy and Denmark oppose such legislation on
the basis of freedom of expression.

"At the time when the EU is considering EU legislation aiming at
penalizing genocide denial, the Swiss case shows the path to follow,
i.e., the one in which denials of all clear instances of genocides
are fined — including those, such as the Armenian genocide, that
have never been previously sanctioned by international jurisdiction,"
read the statement.

A controversial figure in Turkey, Perincek immediately made it clear
he would appeal the Swiss court’s decision. He also signaled that
he could take the verdict to the European Court of Human Rights in
Strasbourg if the verdict is upheld by the Swiss Supreme Court.

Perincek was fined 3,000 Swiss francs and has to pay another 1,000
in damages to the Switzerland-Armenia Association.

The Swiss press has criticized the verdict, arguing it has created
the potential for future problems.

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