RENE ROUQUET: THOSE WHO VALUE JUSTICE SHOULD PASS THE BILL CRIMINALIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.12.2008 17:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Rene Rouquet, the French member of parliament and
Mayor of Alfortville, called on the Senate to pass the bill penalizing
denial of the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire
in 1915.
"This is an issue concerning not only Armenians of France but also all
who highlight justice and observation of rules. Those who eye France
as the home of human rights should vote for the bill criminalizing
the Armenian Genocide denial," he said, independent French journalist
Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net.
For his part, A lain Marleix, Secretary of State for Interior,
Overseas Territories and Local Authorities said that his country’s
position of the issue is clear. "The bill exists but the French
government believes that the past should be dealt by historian and
the parliament is not entitled to adopt bills on the issue," he said,
adding that France welcomes the dialogue between Armenia and Turkey.
The Coordination Council of the Armenian Organizations of France plans
an action in front of the Senate on December 10 to urge adoption of
the bill.
On October 12, 2006, the lower house of the French parliament adopted
the bill, which would set a one-year prison term and a fine of about
45,000 euro for anyone found guilty of denying the Armenian Genocide.