Sarkozy Asks Government to Re-Draft Genocide Denial Law

French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked the government to prepare a new law on criminalizing genocide denial. The call came less than an hour after the French Constitutional Council issued a statement on February 28, 2012, considering the bill penalizing the denial of genocides unconstitutional with the argument that it curbs freedom of speech.

The bill would have rendered punishable the denial of genocides France has officially recognized, like the Armenian Genocide. France already has a law in place penalizing Holocaust denial.

Turkey welcomed the ruling of the Constitutional Council. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the cabinet would meet to consider restarting contacts with France, which were frozen after the French parliament passed the bill on January 23, reported Reuters.

On February 1, Sarkozy vowed to redraft a law that criminalizes the denial of the Armenian Genocide, if the country’s highest judicial body finds an earlier version unconstitutional. While making the statement, Sarkozy reportedly criticized those in cabinet who had opposed the bill, saying they “did not see past the ends of their noses.”

He also said a rejection of the bill by the Constitutional Council could open the door to questioning a law that penalizes denial of the Holocaust.

France Criminalizes Denial of the Armenian Genocide

(BBC, The Jerusalem Post).- The French Senate, after 10 hours of debate, approved the law Boyer to criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide on Monday, January 23, 2012 by 127 votes against 86.

On Tuesday, France urged Turkey not to overreact. Speaking on Canal+, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, who was personally against the move, said the new law was "ill-timed," but called on Ankara to remain calm.
The lower house had backed it in December, prompting Ankara to cancel all economic, political and military meetings with Paris and recall its ambassador for consultations.
"We need good relations with it and we need to get through this excessive phase," Juppe said. "We have very important economic and trade ties. I hope the reality of the situation will not be usurped by emotions."
President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to sign the bill into law before the end of February. It is reasonable to ask whether Juppe would remain on his post given his public opposition to a law impulsed by the president himself.

La "metida de pata" del primer ministro turco

Vartán Matiossián

La aprobación por la Asamblea Nacional francesa, el 22 de diciembre, de un proyecto de ley que establece prisión de un año y una multa de 45.000 euros como pena por la negación del Genocidio Armenio levantó los niveles de histeria de Turquía a límites insospechados.