Bill Criminalizing Armenian Genocide Denial Still Needs to be Approved by the French President

• 10.15.2016, 16:15
•  Europe,  World,  Armenia,  Diaspora,  Info

turkishsquare.com

On October 14, the French Senate voted in favor of the bill criminalizing the denial of all crimes against humanity, including the denial of Armenian Genocide. 156 PM's voted in favor of the bill, 146 were against. The French National Assembly unanimously voted in favor of the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide in July, submitted to the National Assembly by the French Government. However, the Senate vote on the bill has been postponed, as some MPs insisted that the provision on criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial must be removed from the bill. Due to the serious work also carried out by the Armenian community, Senate voted for the option which had been adopted in summer, that is the one, which included the provision of the criminalization of the Armenian Genocide denial. The bill particularly envisages one year imprisonment or a fine amounting 45.000 euros for the denial of the Armenian Genocide.

However, it should be noted that the law has to be still approved by the President of France. In 2012 the French parliament adopted a similar bill. In response, Turkey froze its diplomatic and economic ties with France. However, President Sarkozy refused to sign the law, giving time for its contestation in the Constitutional Court, which decided, that the law contradicted the French Constitution.

Now it is not excluded that the bill will again be sent for the consideration of the Constitutional Court: it requires the support of 60 MPs. 

In any case, the French parliament's adoption of the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide for the second time, shows the exact mood of French society and political circles, and it will be quite difficult for Turkey to resist it.