SWISS COURT CONFIRMS CONVICTION OF TURKS FOR GENOCIDE DENIAL

Hurriyet
Feb 11 2010
Turkey

Zurich’s Court of Appeals confirmed Tuesday the initial verdict of
a Swiss district court that ruled three Swiss citizens of Turkish
descent were guilty of denying Armenian genocide claims, daily Vatan
reported yesterday.

The defendants, Ali Mercan, Hasan Kemahlı and Ethem Kayalı, had
denounced Armenians’ claims of genocide as lies at a meeting in 2007 in
the Swiss district of Winterthur. Mercan is the foreign representative
of the Turkey-based Workers Party, while Kemahlı and Kayalı are
members of the Ataturkcu DuÅ~_unce Dernegi, a Turkey-based think tank.

In March 2007, Dogu Perincek, the leader of the Workers Party, was
similarly found guilty by a Swiss district court of conscious violation
of Swiss laws against genocide denial with a racist motivation and
was fined 12,000 Swiss francs (17,000 Turkish Liras).

The verdict was confirmed by the Vaud cantonal appeal court on June
19 of the same year, and by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland
on Dec. 12, 2007.

"We knew the decision would come out like that," said the lawyers of
the defendants, according to the report by daily Vatan.

Meanwhile the Swiss government is mediating between Turkey and
Armenia for a historical reconciliation of ties. The two countries
signed protocols last October to normalize their relations. The
protocols foresee the formation of a committee of historians to
discuss "historic issues." Yet the process has hit the rocks since
the Armenian constitutional court’s ruling that the interpretation
and application of the protocols should be in compliance with both
the Armenian constitution and declaration of independence, which call
for the international recognition of Armenian genocide claims. Turkey
reacted to the decision saying it constitutes a prejudice in the
workings of the committee of historians.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress