TURKISH DAILY NEWS: EU TURNS DEAF EAR TO TURKISH "FEARS" OVER GENOCIDE DRAFT

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2007 19:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Despite Turkey’s pressure on the European Union
to prevent such a draft which Ankara "fears" could spread moves in
Europe to criminalize any denial of the Armenian Genocide, the EU
is close to adopt the bill. The Justice and Home Affairs Council is
expected to reach a general approach on this Framework Decision on
Thursday in Luxembourg.

Turkish Daily News reports, recent discussions on this file in all
preparatory bodies of the Council have shown the political will of
the delegations to achieve consensus on the text of the Framework
Decision. The technical questions have nearly all been solved.

The draft text will make it mandatory for all EU member states to
punish public incitement "to violence or hatred against a group of
persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to race,
color, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin and will also
criminalize publicly condoning, denying or trivializing crimes of
genocide."

Member states will ensure that these conducts are punishable by
criminal penalties of a maximum of at least between one and three
years of imprisonment.

Member states will not have to modify their constitutional rules and
fundamental principles relating to freedom of association, freedom of
the press and the freedom of expression. After its adoption, member
states will have two years to comply with the Framework Decision.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress