SLOVAKIA CAN BECOME SECOND COUNTRY IN EUROPEAN UNION, WHICH HAS DEFINED CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT FOR DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 26, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Stefan Harabin, the Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Justice of Slovakia, taking as basis the resolution
recognizing the Armenian Genocide adopted in 2004 in the National
Council of Slovakia has suggested a draft law, according to which
the denial of genocides is considered as ciminally punishable. He has
taken the idea of considering the denial of the Armenian Genocide as
punishable as a basis for the document.

This information was provided to a Noyan Tapan correspondent by Ashot
Grigorian, the Chairman of the Forum of the Armenian Unions of Europe
and the Head of the Armenian community of Slovakia.

Ashot Grigorian clarified that if there is no precedent of the denial
of the Holocaust, there are precedents of the denial of the Armenian
Genocide and the whole Europe should lead a serious struggle against
its repetition.

According to him, in this respect Slovakia will serve another example
after France after the adoption of the law envisaging up to five years
of imprisonment for denying the Armenian Genocide. He expressed hope
that the adoption of the law will not take much time.

In the words of the Chairman of the Forum of the Armenian Unions of
Europe, if they take into consideration the fact that the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Turkey does everything for the organization of the
dismantling of the munument-khachkar placed in Bratislava in memory of
the victims of the Armenian Genocide, it will become clear what a blaw
the adoption of the given law will become for Turkey. Besides, Ashot
Grigorian is taking lobbyist steps so as the government of Slovakia
is not against the adoption of that law as the circumstance of the
development of the given draft law by the Minister of Justice does not
mean at all that the Ministers representing other parties making part
of the government will defend the idea on the adoption of the law. Even
the Christian-Democratic Movement party, the representatives of which
were the initiators of the adoption of the law on the recognition of
the Armenian Genocide in the parliament of Slovakia in 2004, can be
against the adoption of the law considering the denial of the Armenian
Genocide as criminally punishable because of being opposition.

According to Ashot Grigorian, Stefan Harabin is in Armenia on May
26-28 at the invitation of Gevorg Danielian, the RA Minister of
Justice. The Head of the Armenian community of Slovakia reminded
that he organized the visit of Yan Charnogurski, a founder of the
Christian Democtratic Movement party and the Minister of Justice of
those times of that country, to Armenia, then the visit of RA former
Minister of Justice David Haroutiunian to Bratislava. S.

Harabin will be in Yerevan for the purpose of providing the
productiveness of the action of the provisions stipulated by the
contracts concluded during those visits. "In addition to this, the
visit of S. Harabin is a serious political act as any similar visit
is an active incentive for the provision of the settlement of the
Armenian issues in Europe," the Chairman of the Forum of the Armenian
Unions of Europe stressed.

He added that the Minister of Justice of Slovakia will take part in
the conference of the Forum of the Armenian Unions of Europe to be
held in Bratislava on May 29-30 and the ceremony of laying wreaths on
the monument khachkar (crosstone) placed in Bratislava in the memory
of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. It is expected that at the
invitation of S. Harabin, Slovakian current world-famous hockey player
Zigmund Palfin, who is in the Hockey National League, will take part
in the ceremony. Within the frameworks of the Conference dedicated to
the 90th anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia and the 10th
anniversary of the Forum of the Armenian Unions of Europe besides
S. Harabin, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Culture of Slovakia,
the leaders of the parliament and other officials have affirmed their
participation. According to Ashot Grigorian, famous violonist Sergey
Khachatrian and the Eurasia band with Vladimir Khachatrian at the
head will perform during that solemn event.