Author: Andres-Papazian

TOP FRENCH COURT RULES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL UNCONSTITUTIONAL

WireUpdate

Feb 29 2012

PARIS, France (BNO NEWS) — France’s Constitutional Council ruled on
Tuesday that a government-backed law that makes it a crime to deny
the Armenian genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War
I is unconstitutional, a move that looks set to ward off a deepening
crisis in Turkish-French ties.

The council’s decision was posted on its official website after
a month-long examination of the much discussed law, which French
President Nicolas Sarkozy was due to ratify by the end of February.

According to the statement, the law was not in line with the
constitution’s articles that highlight freedom of expression and
thought, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Ankara expressed its satisfaction with the law and said this would
remove hurdles standing in the way of the improvement of relations
between the two countries. “This is a very positive decision. I thank
the members of the council for the respectful decision. It will set
a precedent as well,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ~_lu told
reporters, as quoted by the newspaper.

In late December, France’s National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in
favor of the bill, prompting an angry response from Turkey which does
not agree with the term genocide. On January 23, the French Senate
adopted the controversial bill.

The law sets a prison sentence of up to one year and a fine of 45,000
euros ($58,000) for those who deny or ‘outrageously minimize’ the
‘genocide’ of Armenians by the Ottoman government during World War I.

It also criminalizes other genocides recognized by France.

It is estimated that between 600,000 and 1.5 million people of the
Armenian population were killed by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and
1923, but Turkey has refused to use the word ‘genocide’ to describe
the events. Numerous countries have officially recognized the Armenian
Genocide, including France.

From: A. Papazian

FRENCH SENATOR: CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL’S DECISION NOT AN INSULT FOR SARKOZY

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 29, 2012 – 14:42 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Deputy of the French Union for a Popular Movement
(UMP) Brice Hortefeux commented on the decision of the Constitutional
Council on the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial.

He said “he took the Council’s decision into consideration”
but refused to see it “hit” President of France Nicolas Sarkozy,
“Nouvelles d`Armenie” reports.

Responding to the question of “Preuves par 3” whether it was an
“insult” for Sarkozy, Hortefeuxs said: “We will not use pompous words.”

“We must take the decision of the Constitutional Council into account
but we will not cry over spilled milk,” he mentioned.

Hortefeuxs quoted Sarkozy as saying that he will soon meet
representatives of the Armenian community in France, and has ordered
the government prepare a text with consideration of elements that
resulted in such decision of the Constitutional Council.

As to the question whether the Constitutional Council’s judgment is
linked to political disagreements between the Constitutional Council
chairman Jean Louis Debre and president Sarkozy, senator Hortefeux
said: “I see what you’re leading me to, and I won’t follow this
direction.” “Constitutional Council is made of wise men, and they
expressed their wisdom,” he added.

From: A. Papazian

FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PLEDGES TO RESUME GENOCIDE BILL ADOPTION PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 29, 2012 – 14:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – French presidential candidate Francois Hollande
representing the Socialist party promised to resume the process of
adopting the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial in case
he is elected.

French TF1 TV channel quotes him as saying that the timing for adopting
the bill was not appropriate, and it shouldn’t have been submitted
towards the end of presidency term.

“However, this process needs to be resumed, and I undertake the
commitment to complete the issue,” French deputy stated.

For his part, Claude Goasguen, representative of the ruling Union
for a Popular Movement, chairman of France-Israel friendship group
expressed regret for the Constitutional Council’s decision saying
that the bill on Holocaust may also be “attacked”, and anything can
be said in future in terms of denial.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the
Armenian Genocide denial with 127 votes for and 86 against. If signed
into law by the President, the bill would impose a 45,000 euro fine
and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this crime
against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey reacted furiously when the Senate approved the law. Ankara
halted political and military cooperation with France and was
threatening to cut off economic and cultural ties if the law took
effect.

On February 28, the French Constitutional Council ruled the bill as
unconstitutional. The Council justified it by the fact that the law
“contradicts Article 33 of the Constitution of France and the freedom
of speech”.

From: A. Papazian

NICOLAS SARKOZY ORDERS NEW ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LAW

28 Feb 2012

President Nicolas Sarkozy has ordered his government to draft a new
law punishing denial of the Armenian genocide after France’s top
court struck it down as unconstitutional.

Mr Sarkozy was accused of pandering to an estimated 400,000 voters
of Armenian origin ahead of an April-May presidential election

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their forebears were killed in
a 1915-16 genocide by Turkey’s former Ottoman Empire. Turkey says
500,000 died and ascribes the toll to fighting and starvation during
World War I.

France had already recognised the killings 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 (£38,000).

However, the Constitutional Council labelled the law an
“unconstitutional attack on freedom of expression” and it said it
wished “not to enter into the realm of responsibility that belongs
to historians”.

Turkey quickly welcomed the ruling on the law which Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced as “tantamount to discrimination
and racism”.

Bulent Arinc, Turkey’s deputy prime minister, said on Twitter the
ruling “has averted a potentially serious crisis in Turkish-French
ties”.

Related Articles Turkey threatens to retaliate against France over
Armenian genocide bill 24 Jan 2012 Turkey attacks France over Armenian
‘genocide’ bill 24 Jan 2012 Israel discusses recognising Armenian
genocide 26 Dec 2011 Turkey accuses France of genocide in Armenia row
23 Dec 2011 Turkey and France in diplomatic row over genocide bill
22 Dec 2011 The decision “does not indulge political concerns,” Arinc
said after Mr Sarkozy was accused of pandering to an estimated 400,000
voters of Armenian origin ahead of an April-May presidential election.

The top court “gave a lesson in law to the French politicians who
signed the bill, which was an example of absurdity,” said Arinc.

Turkey’s EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis said France had averted a
“historical mistake”, and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called
the decision “an important step that will legally avert future
exploitations”.

However, Mr Sarkozy’s office quickly put out a statement saying the
president “has ordered the government to prepare a new draft, taking
into account the Constitutional Council’s decision.”

Mr Sarkozy noted “the great disappointment and profound sadness of
all those who welcomed with hope and gratitude the adoption of this
law aimed at providing protection against revisionism.”

After winning passage in the National Assembly and Senate, the law
was put on hold in January after groups of senators and MPs opposed
to the legislation demanded that its constitutionality be examined.

The groups gathered more than the minimum 60 signatures required to
ask the council to test the law’s constitutionality.

At least two ministers, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and Agriculture
Minister Bruno Le Maire, had spoken out against the bill.

Ankara has already halted political and military co-operation with
France and had threatened to cut off economic and cultural ties.

Trade between the two states was worth 12 billion euros ($15.5 billion)
in 2010, and several hundred French businesses operate in Turkey.

Valerie Boyer, the MP from Mr Sarkozy’s party who proposed the bill,
said she was “sad but determined” following the council’s ruling,
noting that under French law it was a punishable crime to deny the
Holocaust.

“Today under French law there are two types of victims and two types of
descendants of victims … Some are protected from revisionist acts
and some are not, and I think this is a serious double standard,”
Boyer said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WILL PAY STATE VISIT TO SINGAPORE

news.am
February 29, 2012 | 12:37

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s FM Edward Nalbandian, who was in Singapore on
an official visit, was received Tuesday by Singapore’s President,
Tony Tan Keng Yam.

During the meeting Singaporean Head of State noted: “The Armenians
have left a deep trace in the history of our country and have a great
contribution in the country’s development,” MFA informed Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

In his turn, Edward Nalbandian said that Singaporean Senior Minister
Lee Kuan Yew’s visit to Armenia in 2009 opened a new chapter in
relations between the two countries, and he expressed confidence that
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s state visit to Singapore will
give new impetus to developing collaboration between both countries.

On the same day, Armenia’s FM met with his Singaporean colleague,
Kasiviswanathan (K.) Shanmugam, during which they reflected on
consolidating the legal and contractual domain.

Singapore’s FM likewise underscored the Singaporean Armenian
community’s role in his country’s development.

The interlocutors also exchanged views on several top international
matters.

Also, Edward Nalbandian presented his Singaporean counterpart Armenia’s
steps being taken toward establishing security and cooperation in
the Caucasus, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process.

The discussions continued during the official dinner which Singapore’s
FM had organized in Armenian FM’s honor.

While in Singapore, Edward Nalbandian also paid a visit to the Saint
Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, which was founded in 1835,
where he met with representatives of the country’s Armenian community.

Ending his visit to Singapore, Edward Nalbandian headed back to
Armenia on the same day.

From: A. Papazian

Aarhus Centers Of Armenia Demand Canceling Decision To Place In Mashtots Park

arminfo
Wednesday, February 29, 14:48

In their letters to the President, Prime Minister, Urban Development
Minister and Yerevan Mayor the Aarhus centers of Armenia demand
canceling the decision to transfer the trade pavilions formerly
located on Abovyan Street to Mashtots Park, Ecolur reported

The municipal authorities say that this is part of the program to
zone Yerevan’s center, but the greens insist that this is contrary
to the city’s general outlay.

The Heritage party has sued the Yerevan Municipality. Experts say
that the project runs counter to the Land Code and the law on urban
development and note that no public hearings and environmental impact
assessment have been conducted.

A number of cultural workers and public figures have already stood
up for the park, with as many as 4,000 signatures collected against
the project.

On Tuesday Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met with a group
of architects and told them that the transfer of the pavilions to
the park was a temporary measure.

From: A. Papazian

IRANIAN MEDIA: 1.5 MILLION ARMENIAN MURDERED IN GENOCIDE CARRIED OUT BY OTTOMAN TURKEY

Panorama.am
29/02/2012

About 1.5 million Armenian were assassinated in genocide carried
out by Ottoman Turkey during 1914-1916, Iranian parsine.com news
site reported.

First, the author of the story tells about social-economic situation
in Western Armenia before genocide, more than three million Armenians
were living under Ottoman rule in the 19th century. The story focuses
on massacres of Sasun in 1890-1892, Istanbul in 1896, Adana in 1902.

During those slaughters more than 300 000 Armenians were killed.

Referring to slaughters carried out during the world war first – Mona
Doran, it’s mentioned that Armenian med aged 16-51 were enlisted to
army service, but later were murdered. In 1915 Armenian were forced
to migrate to deserts of Syria and Mesopotamia.

“Minister of interior affairs Taleat pasha ordered to kill all the
Armenians, he ordered not to sympathize even children. First, the
Turks kill Armenian intellectuals and then burn people in their flats,
kill the children or throw them into river,” Iranian media refers to
commands implemented by Ottoman senior statesmen.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI AMBASSADOR CALLED TO IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTRY

Panorama.am
29/02/2012

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Iran has been called to Foreign Ministry
regarding purchase of military equipment from Israel, Iranian “FARS”
news agency reported.

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Iran Javanshir Akhundov told Iranian Deputy
FM Seyyed Abbas Araghchi that the purchase of military equipment
isn’t addressed against Iran.

Azerbaijani Ambassador stated that the military equipment bought from
Israel would be used against Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Iranian deputy FM insisted that Israel was using the territory of
Azerbaijan to implement terror acts against Iran.

Azerbaijani 1news.az reported that Iran’s Embassy in Azerbaijan denied
news regarding Iranian FM Ali Aqbar Salehi’s visit to Baku.

Read also: Iranian MP: Azerbaijan toy in hands of Israel, USA
[]

From: A. Papazian

AUTHOR OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL BILL SHOCKED AT CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL’S STATEMENT

Tert.am
29.02.12

Valerie Boyer, a member of the French National Assembly who
represents the Bouches-du-Rhône department, is shocked at the French
Constitutional Council’s statement on the bill criminalizing denial
of genocides.

The Council actually made different decisions on two genocides:
the Jewish Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide were not equally
considered. She regrets the Constitutional Council’s ruling and is
determined to discuss a new bill with the government. If the Armenian
Genocide was officially recognized, any denials must be punished. This
meets the standards of justice, equality and human rights, Boyer says.

From: A. Papazian

NEVER AGAIN: ARMENIANS RALLY WITH TORCHES IN HONOR OF SUMGAIT VICTIMS (PHOTOS)

news.am
February 27, 2012 | 22:33

YEREVAN. – In the evening of February 27 Miasin Armenian movement
organized a rally with torches to Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial,
to the cross-stone dedicated to the victims of the Armenian pogroms
in Sumgait, Azerbaijan. The photo report by the Armenian News-NEWS.am
is available HERE.

Several thousand participants formed the phrase NEVER AGAIN on the
hill of Tsitsernakaberd. One of the torches was lit by the Eternal
flame then the other torches were lit.

As the leader of the movement Hakob Hakobyan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am, first of all the action was dedicated to the memory
of the innocent victims, it is also a message to the civilized world
and to Azerbaijan which has been conducting an anti-Armenian policy
inside and outside of the country.

To note, on February 28 Armenians throughout the world mourned over
the 24th anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms in Azerbaijan.

From: A. Papazian