FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 22, 2011 Contact: R. Roupen Kouyoumdjian (B.Sc., M.Sc.)
1-514-265-4602
ANCC Commends French National Assembly for Passing Bill on
Armenian Genocide Denial
Ottawa – On December 22, 2011, the French National Assembly (Lower House of the Bicameral Parliament of France) easily passed a bill that would prohibit the denial of any genocide, including the Armenian Genocide. This bill recognizes that denial is the final stage of genocide and that genocide denial is, as French philosopher Bernard Henri-Levy has stated, a form of racial hatred rather than a form of civilized expression.
The Armenian National Committee of Canada commends the French National Assembly for the historic passage of this bill and is hopeful that the French Senate (Upper House of the Bicameral Parliament of France) will quickly pass the bill as well, thus making it law. As well, the ANCC condemns the Turkish government for its continued denial of the Armenian Genocide and its adoption of punitive measures against France for taking this principled and just position.
Dr. Girair Basmadjian, ANCC President stated: “We truly admire and appreciate the French National Assembly for adopting this bill, especially in the face of blackmail and intimidation by the Turkish government. Turkey’s actions are not consistent with modern diplomacy and demonstrate that Turkey has not yet come to terms with its genocidal past.”
“The Turkish government is in no position to give the legislature of France or any other state lessons about freedom of speech or expression,” added ANCC President Dr. Girair Basmadjian. “If Turkey wishes to promote human rights, it should begin so by repealing its own Article 301 and freeing the numerous publishers and journalists in its prisons. The level of arrogance demonstrated by the government of the Republic of Turkey this past week has reached a new high” Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code forbids a much broader range of expression and with more severe penalties than anything in the proposed French bill. Article 301 has been used by Turkish authorities to prevent the expression of any viewpoint concerning the Armenian Genocide other than the official denialist position of the Turkish state. This legislation has been used against such notable
figures as assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, Nobel Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk and historian Taner Akcam. Currently, publisher and human rights activist Ragip Zarakoglu is being detained by Turkish authorities without being charged with any crime. He has previously been charged with violating Turkish censorship laws.
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The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.