French parliament bans denial of Armenian ‘genocide’
The French parliament has passed a law banning the denial of the Armenian “genocide” and other crimes classifiable as being against humanity.
The unanimously passed amendment states that the “denial or trivialization” of events such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or slavery will result in state pursued legal action, the Independent reported on Sunday.
According to the new law, denying the Armenian genocide could result in up to one year in prison and a 45,000-euro fine.
France officially passed the Armenian genocide act in 2001, and first tried to ban its denial in 2012, but failed over claims made by the Constitutional Council, which said it would hinder freedom of expression.
Despite the fact that it still requires approval by France’s Senate, the supporters of the act hope that it will be implemented before the beginning of 2017.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million Armenian Christians were systematically slaughtered in eastern Turkey through mass killing, forced relocations and starvation, a process that began in 1915 and took over several years during World War I and the break-up of the Ottoman Empire.
Ankara rejects the term “genocide” and says 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks perished between 1915 and 1917, in what the Turkish government sees as the “casualties” of World War I. Only a few countries, including France and Russia, officially recognize the events as genocide.
In June, the German parliament also approved a resolution recognizing the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.
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