EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
for Justice and Democracy

Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel/ Fax: +32 2 732 70 27/26
Website :Eafjd

—————————————— ——————————-

PRESS RELEASE
Saturday 29 November 2008
Contact : Varténie ECHO
Tel. / Fax. : +32 (0) 2 732 70 27

CALL : WORKSHOP OF ORGANISATIONS AGAINST GENOCIDE DENIAL TO BE HELD IN
BRUSSELS

An EU Framework Decision adopted yesterday will ban denial in Europe

The European Armenian Federation invites all the organisations working
against genocide denial ` associations of genocide victims’
descendants, associations of Human Rights and associations fighting
against racism, xenophobia and denial ` to a workshop that will be held
in Brussels, at the beginning of 2009. This meeting will aim to prepare
the implementation of the EU Framework Decision against Racism and
Xenophobia in the laws of the EU member States. Experts of the European
Commission and political leaders of the European Parliament will also
take part to the meeting.

The Framework Decision against Racism and Xenophobia gives a
legislative framework to harmonise the penal laws of the member States
in the area of racism and xenophobia with a special focus on genocide
denial. A political agreement has been reached about this Decision and
it was formally adopted this20Friday 27 November by the European Council.

However, the Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, France and Poland
stated some restrictive remarks.

From now on, the member States have to transpose this Framework
Decision in the national laws in a two years period. There is no
mandatory specification on the way with which they will have to
implement the Decision but they are bound to provide an effective
compliance to its provision: an individual who would be targeted by a
penal decision which would not comply to the Framework Decision could
then file a case in the Court of Justice of the European Communities.

Actually, when genocide deniers from foreign States are threatening
European citizens, it is crucial that the relevant organisations
mobilise to ensure that in each Member State an appropriate
implementation of the Framework Decision is made.

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy has
continuously worked with legal experts from the European institutions
to ensure the wording of this Framework Decision will effectively
penalise the genocides deniers.

The European Armenian Federation will communicate further details about
the workshop it will organise in Brussels.