WORKSHOP OF ORGANIZATIONS AGAINST GENOCIDE DENIAL TO BE HELD IN BRUSSELS
armradio.am
01.12.2008 11:06
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 in 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 this Friday 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.