Latest update: 28/02/2012 

- France - genocide - Turkey


French genocide law 'unconstitutional' rules court

French genocide law 'unconstitutional' rules court

A contentious French law criminalising the denial of the Armenian genocide was ruled unconstitutional by the country's top judicial body Tuesday. The Constitutional Council said the law, which had angered Turkey, infringed on freedom of speech.

By News Wires (text)
 

AFP - France’s top judicial body ruled Tuesday that a law backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy to punish denial of the Armenian genocide was unconstitutional as it infringed on freedom of expression.

“The Council deems the law contrary to the constitution,” the Constitutional Council said of the legislation that plunged France’s relations with Turkey into crisis.

Sarkozy immediately orders redrafting of law

President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered his government to draft a new law punishing denial of the Armenian genocide Tuesday after France's top court struck down a previous bill.

Noting the "great disappointment and profound sadness" of the law's backers, a statement from Sarkozy said: "He has ordered the government to prepare a new draft, taking into account the Constitutional Council's decision."

(Source AFP)

“The council rules that by punishing anyone contesting the existence of... crimes that lawmakers themselves recognised or qualified as such, lawmakers committed an unconstitutional attack on freedom of expression,” it said.

France had already officially recognised the killingis as a genocide, but the new law sought to go further by punishing anyone who denies this with up to a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($57,000).

The Council said that it was concerned “not to enter into the realm of responsibility that belongs to historians”.

While the Council’s ruling is final, Sarkozy, who is facing a tough re-election battle in less than two months, vowed on February 1 that he would submit a new draft of the law if the Constitutional Council rejected it.
 

Date created : 28/02/2012 
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(11) Reactions

Oh the fucking double

by Anonyme (not verified) - 02/09/2012 - 20:54

Oh the fucking double standards are so transparent, i'm suprised people don't see it. So it's okay to deny the Armenian genocide (or any other genocide), except the holocau$t.. Please, go ahead and tell me how laws banned holocaust denial are every bit constitutional..

Genocide bill

by Anonyme (not verified) - 29/02/2012 - 17:09

How can Turkey object to the French law criminalising the denial of the Armenian genocide when Turkey has a law criminalising the admission of the Armenian genocide? How do they explain this double standard?

Double standards

by Gary (not verified) - 29/02/2012 - 17:00

There are two laws in France. One for Jews and another for non Jews. France accepts that the Armenian Genocide and Jewish Holocaust are historical truths. But if you deny the Holocaust that is penalised and the offender goes to jail. If one denies the Genocide that is "freedom of speech" and the law is "unconstitutional". I think the ruling of the Constitutional Court is a gross violation of ethics and a prime example of double standards. Jewish victims are human and should be commemorated, and Armenian victims are subject to be thrown to the trashbin of history. Shameful, disgusting and unacceptable to anyone who calls himself a human.

Our goverment opened historical archive where is yours ?

by Anonyme (not verified) - 29/02/2012 - 15:32

i bored these lies if you have evidence for genocide lets open what you have, why you are afraiding ?

Armenian Genocide

by LTG (not verified) - 29/02/2012 - 13:23

Denial is the last stage of Genocide. Turks continue their Genocide today after wiping out Anatolia of Armenians Greek and Assyrian Christians. France must put a stop to this and Sarkozy must confront the corrupt senators that struck down this law, whilst a similar law for the Jewish Holocaust is not challenged.

Holocaust denial

by JohnnyDuke (not verified) - 29/02/2012 - 02:00

Whilst denial of what is the worst of human behaviour is not to be condoned I really don't see how criminalising it helps.

''I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it?''

Though these words are regularly attributed to Voltaire, they were first used by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, writing under the pseudonym of Stephen G Tallentyre in "The Friends of Voltaire" (1906), as a summation of Voltaire's beliefs on freedom of thought and expression.

Let people be known by their utterances, I say.

Go on Sarkozy; do what ever

by Özgür (not verified) - 29/02/2012 - 01:19

Go on Sarkozy; do what ever you can to take those armenian votes. But remember no matter what you do, you can't change the history

This is so sad. This means

by Anonyme (not verified) - 28/02/2012 - 23:57

This is so sad. This means disrespect to 1.500.000 innocent people. ................C'mon France, we believe in you. <3

About Holocost.

by Anonymous (not verified) - 28/02/2012 - 20:26

You say Armenian genocide law is unconstitutional. Why then you have such a law about Holocost? Which is the difference between killing jewish people and armenian people?

bye bye Sarkozy... you can

by goood (not verified) - 28/02/2012 - 19:43

bye bye Sarkozy... you can now move to armenia during your retirement...

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