Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

FRENCH LAWMAKERS PASS GENOCIDE LAW ON ARMENIANS
By ELAINE GANLEY

KTAR.com

Dec 22 2011

PARIS (AP) – French lawmakers have easily passed a measure that would
make it a crime in France to deny that the mass killings of Armenians
in 1915 amounted to a genocide.

There was no official vote count in the balloting in France’s lower
house of parliament, where lawmakers simply voted by raising their
hands. The measure now goes to the Senate.

Lawmakers denounced what they called Turkey’s propaganda effort in
a bid to sway them.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further
information. AP’s earlier story is below.

PARIS (AP)- Lawmakers vote on Thursday on a measure that would make
it a crime in France to deny that a mass killings of Armenians in 1915
amounted to a genocide, a measure that could put France on a collision
course with Turkey, a strategic ally and trading partner which says
the conflict nearly 100 years ago should be left to historians.

France formally recognized the killings as genocide in 2001, but
provided no penalty for anyone denying that. The bill sets a punishment
of up to one year in prison and a fine of euro45,000 ($59,000) for
those who deny or “outrageously minimize” the killings by Ottoman
Turks, putting such action on a par with denial of the Holocaust.

The conservative government has indicated it backs the measure despite
the ire- and threats- of Turkey. The measure is expected to easily
pass in the National Assembly, the lower house- though its fate in
the Senate is less clear.

An initial bid to punish denial of the Armenian genocide failed
earlier this year, killed by the Senate- five years after it was
passed by the lower house.

Turkey, which vehemently rejects the term “genocide,” has campaigned
to get France to abandon the legislation, threatening to withdraw
its ambassador and warning of “grave consequences” to economic and
political ties.

French authorities have stressed the importance of bilateral ties
with Turkey and the key role it plays in sensitive strategic issues
as a member of NATO, in Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

However, President Nicolas Sarkozy has long opposed the entry into
the European Union of mostly Muslim Turkey, putting a constant strain
on the two nations’ ties.

Turkey says that with the measure France, the cradle of human rights,
will be tampering with freedom of expression by denying people the
right to say what they think. Turkish authorities attribute the action
to a bid by Sarkozy’s party for short-term political gains ahead of
spring presidential and legislative elections.

Turkish authorities have weighed in with caustic remarks about France’s
past, with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan recalling its colonial history
in Algeria and a 1945 massacre there, as well as its role in Rwanda
where some have claimed a French role in the 1994 genocide there.

“Those who do want to see genocide should turn around and look at
their own dirty and bloody history,” Erdogan said last weekend.
“Turkey will stand against this intentional, malicious, unjust and
illegal attempt through all kinds of diplomatic means.”

Turkish President Abdullah Gul spoke out on the issue this week,
saying it will “put France in a position of a country that does not
respect freedom of expression and does not allow objective scientific
research.”

Turkey insists the mass killings of Armenians- up to 1.5 million,
historians estimate- occurred during civil unrest as the Ottoman
Empire collapsed, with losses on both sides. Historians contend the
Armenians were massacred in the first genocide of the 20th century.

France is pressing Turkey to own up to its history for the sake of
“memory” just as the French have officially recognized the role of
the state, the collaborationist Vichy government, in the deportation
of Jews to Nazi death camps during World War II.

In October, Sarkozy made a visit to Armenia and from its capital,
Yerevan, urged Turkey to recognize the 1915 killings as genocide.

“Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself by revisiting
its history like other countries in the world have done,” Sarkozy said.

Still, France has worked to soften the diplomatic impact of the bill.
Government spokeswoman Valerie Pecresse reiterated on Wednesday that
the move applies to all genocides and is not specifically about the
Armenian killings. However, she added that the government views the
text as “the reaffirmation of a universal principle which is that
each nation must … have the courage to review its memory and look
at its history with lucidity.”

France took its own time recognizing the state’s role in the
Holocaust. It was not until 1995 that a French leader, then-President
Jacques Chirac proclaimed France’s active role in sending its citizens
to death camps. And it was only in 2009 that his historic declaration
was formally recognized in a ruling by France’s top body, the Council
of State.

From: Baghdasarian

ICRC REPRESENTATIVES VISIT ARMENIAN CAPTIVES IN AZERBAIJAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 22, 2011 – 11:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Representatives of the International Committee of
the Red Cross have visited Armenian captives in Azerbaijan.

Three POWs and five civilians (a family) received 3 letters and handed
over 6 messages to be conveyed to their relatives.

According to the agreement on prisoner swap achieved by Yerevan and
Baku, Armenian captive Artur Badalyan was returned to the Armenian
side, which, in turn, transferred serviceman Anar Gajiyev to Azerbaijan
on March 17.

From: Baghdasarian

HRAPARAK: GUARDIAN ANGELS IN ARMENIA’S POLICE

Tert.am
22.12.11

Chief of Armenia’s police Vladimir Gasparyan plans to form a new
entity in the country’s police system.

They are field service officers to work during mass events.

The new police entity is an “elite” one, with high-level knowledge
and skills.

The officers are expected to know English, be able to give first
medical aid and hold “civilized” talks with citizens.

The newspaper’s sources report that Mr. Gasparyan is especially
particular about the applicants. At his meeting with them Dec. 21 he
stressed they must be “guardian angels” for people.

He also stressed the importance of young age and handsomeness. Women
are expected to be involved as well.

So it is time for young, intellectual and handsome police officers.

From: Baghdasarian

COALITION TO STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DEMANDS DISMISSAL OF SYUNIK GOVERNOR

epress.am
12.21.2011

The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women in Armenia is demanding
that Suren (Surik) Khachatryan, governor of the southern Armenian marz
(province) of Syunik, be immediately sacked for assaulting a woman.

“The governor publicly slapping businesswoman Silva Hambardzumyan
at Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan in November did not even receive
public condemnation by our government. And recently, during his visit
to Qajaran, Surik Khachatryan threatened eco-activist Mariam Sukhudyan.

This would be unacceptable in any civilized society. When a man,
especially a government official displays such violent behavior and
the government does not at least condemn it or punish it, it is a
message to all that violence against women is condoned and an accepted
practice in Armenia,” reads the statement issued by the group.

The Coalition notes that such acts reinforce a culture of violence
and encourages violence towards women, “which is so rampant among
Armenian families.”

“We ask that the governor be sacked for such uncivilized behavior,”
conclude authors of the statement who ask members of the public
to sign the petition demanding Khachatryan’s dismissal at

Over a hundred people have already signed the petition, which was
launched yesterday evening.

From: Baghdasarian

CATHOLICOS, WESTERN PRELATE APPLAUD PASSAGE OF H.RES. 306

asbarez
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian

ANTELIAS, Lebanon, LA CRESCENTA, Calif.-His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos
of the Great House of Cilicia and Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, in separate announcements, welcomed last week’s vote by
the House of Representatives on H. Res. 306, urging Turkey to return
stolen church property to its rightful owners.

A day after the vote, on December 14, in an interview with the
Yerevan-based Yerkir Media Television, the Catholicos said: “The
House Resolution 306 ‘urging the Republic of Turkey to safeguard its
Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties,’
not only challenges Turkey’s failure to respect the Armenian,
Greek, Assyrian and Syriac Church properties, but also the freedom
of religious prayer and education. This is a major step toward the
just solution of the Armenian Genocide.”

The Catholicos also thanked the Armenian National Committee of America
for its close collaboration with the Catholicosate of Cilicia in
the past decades, in advocating for the “just cause of the Armenian
people.”

While recognizing the important effort of different organizations
within the Armenian community toward this end, the pontiff explained
that “The U.N. Commission on Human Right has recognized the interests
of the victims of violations of International Humanitarian Law in
five forms of reparation: Restitution, compensation, rehabilitation,
just satisfaction, and guarantee of non-repetition. We should clearly
state our demands within the context of IHL. The Catholicosate of
Cilicia is organizing an meeting of experts to this effect, to be
held in February 2012 in Antelias.”

Immediately following the announcement of the House vote, Western
Prelate, Archbishop Mardirossian welcomed this effort.

“We were overjoyed to learn of the passage of H. Res. 306. This is
indeed a monumental victory not only for the Armenian people but
for all those who value religious freedom, equality, and justice. We
hopefully anticipate the end of religious and ethnic discrimination
and await the day when our sacred sites are returned to their rightful
owners, the Armenian people” said Archbishop Mardirossian.

From: Baghdasarian

LA TURQUIE FAIT PRESSION SUR LA FRANCE
Laetitia

armenews.com
mercredi 21 decembre 2011

La Turquie a mis la pression sur le gouvernement francais mardi 20
decembre 2011 pour faire echouer l’adoption par le parlement francais
d’un projet de loi criminalisant la negation du genocide armenien.

” Il n’est pas possible pour nous d’accepter ce projet de loi, car
nous n’aurons plus la liberte de rejeter les accusations injustes
et infondees qui visent notre pays et notre nation “,a declare le
president turc Abdullah Gul dans un communique publie par l’AFP.

” J’espère que la France ne fera pas le sacrifice de cette amitie
franco-turque, des interets communs que nous partageons pour de simples
calculs politiques “, a affirme M. Gul en reference aux elections
presidentielle et legislatives francaises de l’annee prochaine.

La France compte environ 500.000 citoyens d’origine armenienne.

Le Premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a prevenu en fin de
semaine dernière qu’il y aurait de ” graves consequences ” pour les
relations bilaterales si le projet de loi est approuve par l’Assemblee
nationale.

Selon la loi, toute personne en France qui nierait que les massacres
de 1915 constitue un genocide, pourrait faire face a un an de prison
et a une amende de 45.000 euros (58.000 dollars).

” Si cette loi est adoptee, il y aura beaucoup de degâts et de graves
consequences pour les deux pays “, a declare Rifat Hisarciklioglu,qui
est a la tete de l’Union turque des Chambres et des Bourses.

Une source gouvernementale turque a annonce a l’AFP mardi qu’Ankara va
imposer des sanctions diplomatiques et commerciales a Paris, si les
legislateurs francais adoptent la loi. ” La Turquie ne restera pas
silencieuse. Cela aura evidemment des consequences. Nous avons deja
discute de nos plans si la loi est adoptee a l’Assemblee nationale
francaise jeudi 22 decembre. ”

” Près de 1000 entreprises francaises en Turquie, ainsi que celles
en partenariat avec des entreprises turques, seront exclus des
marches publics, en particulier dans le domaine des transports. “,
a -t-il annonce.

Le porte-parole du ministère des Affaires etrangères, Bernard Valero,
a rappele a Ankara ses engagements internationaux.

” L’adhesion de la Turquie a l’Organisation mondiale du commerce
et douanière avec l’Union europeenne implique un traitement non
discriminatoire a l’egard des entreprises de l’Union europeenne “,
a declare Bernard Valero.

From: Baghdasarian

LES ” LECONS ” DE LA TURQUIE EUROPEENNE
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mercredi 21 decembre 2011

Par Sarkis Shahinian, president honoraire de l’Association
Suisse-Armenie et co-fondateur de l’Observatoire armenien

Qui croit encore a cette Turquie ? En s’opposant a l’adoption d’une loi
antiraciste dans un Etat tiers, elle donne a la France et a l’Europe
des ” lecons ” de droit, d’histoire, d’economie et de democratie. Non
sans consequences.

Le monde politique et economique turc exerce actuellement un
chantage inouï sur la France, sur le President de la Republique,
les Conseillers presidentiels, le Premier Ministre, le President de
l’Assemblee nationale, les Presidents des Commissions, les deputes, le
Quai d’Orsay, et sur le monde economique. De son côte, le president de
“Liberte pour l’Histoire”, historien distingue, ramène indirectement
le Genocide Armenien a une tuerie de mouches. Pour sa part, l’opinion
publique francaise est en train de subir une attaque du plus pur style
(neo-) ottoman et s’estime impliquee dans une affaire qui lui semble
n’etre pas la sienne. La loi mise a l’ordre du jour de l’Assemblee
Nationale, tendant a proteger la dignite humaine, droit fondamental
inscrit dans la Constitution, ne traduit pourtant que la volonte du
legislateur de combler une lacune de taille. En realite, par cette
loi, qui prevoit notamment la punition de l’apologie, la negation ou
la banalisation grossière publiques des crimes contre l’humanite, en
particulier des genocides, la France transpose un droit negocie dans le
cadre des institutions europeennes (la Decision-cadre 2008/913/JAI)
dans son droit penal. Le fait que la Turquie s’y oppose, relève
d’une violation flagrante de la souverainete non seulement francaise,
mais aussi et surtout europeenne.

Contre toute evidence, la Turquie pretend que cette loi est dirigee
contre elle. Pas contente, Ankara fait a Paris la lecon sur la liberte
d’expression, alors qu’il ne se passe pas de jour sans que soient
arretes en Turquie journalistes, ecrivains où editeurs, qui s’opposent
a elle sur les questions de justice, kurde ou armenienne. L’Etat turc
est actuellement confronte a une repression inconnue depuis le coup
d’etat militaire de 1980.

La Turquie surencherit en donnant des ” lecons ” a la France,
l’appelant a reconnaître ses propres crimes. On pourrait se demander
a quel titre. L’Etat turc qui ne perd aucune occasion pour nier
le genocide de plus d’un million d’Armeniens et un demi-million
d’Assyriens, se place, d’un point de vue juridique en situation de
continuite avec l’Empire ottoman, un Etat criminel qui a organise
et execute en 14 mois ce genocide. N’est-ce pas lui qui instille
en permanence la negation de ces crimes, non seulement sur son
territoire, mais aussi dans les communautes turques des etats tiers,
tels la France ou la Suisse, où a ete decouverte une collusion avec
l’Etat profond turc pour exporter ce negationnisme avec Halacoglou,
Perincek et Mercan ?

Pour qui l’aurait oublie ou l’ignore, c’est bien la Turquie, poussee
par l’Azerbaïdjan, qui etrangle l’Armenie par son blocus, acte
caracterise d’hostilite internationale. La proposition du Ministre des
affaires etangères turc, M. Davoutoglou, a son homologue suisse, Mme
Calmy-Rey, debut decembre, de relancer les protocoles armeno-turcs est
de ce fait impossible a comprendre. S’agit-il de negocier l’ouverture
d’une frontière que la Turquie a fermee unilateralement depuis 1993 ?

Ou de se meler du conflit du Haut-Karabagh pour une solution en faveur
de Bakou ? Ou plutôt de creer une commission d’historiens qui servirait
a demontrer que Turcs et Armeniens sont en train de dialoguer sur la
qualification des crimes de 1915 ? L’attitude de la Turquie montre,
en verite, que sa volonte affichee de reconciliation avec l’Armenie
n’est fondee que sur la mauvaise fois et la recuperation politique.

From: Baghdasarian

FRANCE CONSIDERS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL

Los Angeles Times
,0,417412.story
Dec 20 2011
CA

France may soon make it illegal to deny the Armenian genocide. If
stating even an incorrect view of history is a crime, it amounts to
preemptive censorship. The bill should be voted down.

The killing of more than a million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915
was an act of genocide. The Holocaust was a fact. Yet Americans are
free to deny the reality of either – or make outlandish assertions
of all kinds – without facing punishment by the state. Residents
of France will be denied that privilege if its parliament adopts a
wrong-headed bill to criminalize denial of the Armenian genocide.

On Thursday the lower house of France’s parliament will debate a bill
that would punish those who deny the genocide with a year in prison
and a $58,000 fine. Turkey is livid, just as it is when legislation is
proposed in the U.S. Congress to declare the killings a genocide. It
has threatened “grave consequences” to the French-Turkish relationship
if the bill is approved and warns that it will raise the issue of
violent French colonialism in international forums.

Turkey’s sensitivity to the term “genocide” is nothing new, nor is
the warning of a diplomatic rupture if another nation dares to use
that word. That’s not the reason to oppose the bill. The reason the
French bill deserves condemnation is that it would be a monstrous
violation of free speech.

France is not the only European country to take a narrower view of
freedom of expression than the United States does, but to make it
a crime to state a view about history – even an incorrect view –
is an especially egregious act of preemptive censorship. Political
correctness is one thing when it holds sway in the culture, politics
or academe and quite another when it dictates how the criminal law
is conceived and enforced.

Some would say that it’s presumptuous for Americans to lecture the
people of a fellow democracy about the rights they accord their
citizens. But robust freedom of expression isn’t some American fetish.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this
right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and
regardless of frontiers.”

That the killing of Armenians was not an example of genocide is
an opinion. We disagree with it, but it deserves protection, not
punishment.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY ANGRY OVER FRANCE’S GENOCIDE BILL

Global Post

Dec 20 2011

Turkey is angry that France may adopt a law making it illegal to deny
the “Armenian Genocide.”

Despite wide disapproval from Turkey, France may pass a bill making it
illegal to deny the Armenian genocide, the Associated Press reported.

The bill is being considered in France’s lower house of parliament.

Punishment for denial will include a one-year prison term and a large
fine (about $58,500).

This will put denying the genocide, which is estimated to have killed
1.5 million Armenians during World War I, on par “with Holocaust
denial, which was banned in the country in 1990.”

According to BBC News, more than 20 countries acknowledge the mass
killings as a genocide.

These countries include Cyprus, Uruguay, Poland, Chile, Argentina,
Canada, Belgium, Russia, Lebanon, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, the
Netherlands, Lithuania, the Vatican, and Slovakia.

Turkey, however, does not acknowledge it.

The country puts the death toll closer to 300,000.

It also states that many Turks were killed as well, when “Armenians
rose up against the Ottoman Empire during World War I when Russian
troops invaded eastern Anatolia, now eastern Turkey,” the BBC reported.

The prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wrote to French
President Nicolas Sarkozy last week saying that the bill was “hostile”
and it “targeted Turkey and Turks living in France.”

Turkey fears that if France ended up passing this bill, “serious and
irreparable” consequences will occur for Franco-Turkish relations,
according to Al Jazeera.

“It is not possible for us to accept this bill,” said Abdullah Gul,
the president of Turkey.

Gul believes that the bill will deny Turks “the freedom to reject
unfair and groundless accusations targeting our country and our
nation.”

From: Baghdasarian

LES DEPUTES FRANCAIS IGNORENT LES MENACES D’ANKARA SUR L’ARMENIE
par Emile Picy

Reuters

20 dec 2011
France

PARIS (Reuters) – Les deputes francais examineront comme prevu jeudi
une proposition de loi sanctionnant la negation du genocide armenien
de 1915, malgre la menace brandie par Ankara de consequences negatives
pour les relations entre la Turquie et la France.

Le ministre des Relations avec le Parlement, Patrick Ollier, l’a
confirme mardi, tandis que le ministère des Affaires etrangères
mettait par avance en garde la Turquie contre toute mesure de retorsion
commerciale.

Les deputes d’opposition socialistes ont pour leur part fait savoir
par leur president de groupe, Jean-Marc Ayrault, qu’ils voteraient
le texte depose par leur collègue UMP Valerie Boyer avec le soutien
d’une quarantaine d’elus de la majorite.

La commission des Lois de l’Assemblee Nationale avait adopte le 7
decembre cette proposition en l’amendant legèrement pour lui donner
une portee plus generale, dans l’espoir, jusqu’ici vain, d’apaiser
la Turquie.

Le texte transposant le droit communautaire sur la lutte contre le
racisme et visant a sanctionner “la contestation du genocide armenien”
vise desormais “a reprimer la contestation de l’existence des genocides
reconnus par la loi”.

Il prevoit de punir la negation d’un tel genocide d’un an
d’emprisonnement ou d’une amende de 45.000 euros ou des deux.

“Il ne s’agit pas d’une proposition sur le genocide armenien. Il
s’agit de tous les actes qui s’apparentent a des genocides”, a explique
mardi sur LCI la porte-parole du gouvernement, Valerie Pecresse, qui
a insiste sur le fait que la Turquie etait un “partenaire privilegie
de la France”.

MISE EN GARDE DU QUAI D’ORSAY

Le president UMP de l’Assemblee, Bernard Accoyer, a fait valoir qu’il
s’agissait d’une “proposition de loi generale de lutte contre le
racisme et la xenophobie et sur le negationnisme d’un certain nombre
de faits historiques”.

Le Premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a ecrit la semaine
dernière a Nicolas Sarkozy pour denoncer un texte qui vise, selon lui,
“de facon hostile la Republique de Turquie, la Nation turque et la
communaute turque vivant en France”.

Le vote de cette proposition de loi aura “de graves consequences pour
les relations futures entre la Turquie et la France sur les plans
politique, economique, culturel et dans tous les autres domaines”,
a-t-il ajoute dans cette lettre rendue publique par l’Agence
anatolienne de presse.

La Turquie doit garder a l’esprit les règles internationales dans les
domaines economique et commercial, a replique mardi le porte-parole
du Quai d’Orsay lors d’un point de presse.

“La Turquie est membre de l’OMC (Organisation mondiale du commerce)
et elle est liee a l’Union europeenne par l’union douanière”, a
rappele Bernard Valero. “Ces deux engagements juridiques impliquent
un traitement non discriminatoire a l’egard des entreprises de l’UE.”

Concernant un eventuel rappel de l’ambassadeur de Turquie en France,
il a invite Ankara a prendre en compte “les vertus du dialogue”,
dont il a souligne l’importance sur des dossiers comme la Syrie,
l’Iran ou l’Union pour la Mediterranee.

Il a insiste sur l’attachement de la France au developpement de ses
relations avec la Turquie “dans tous les domaines”.

La presidence de la Republique francaise a pour sa part refuse
jusqu’ici de faire le moindre commentaire.

C’est pourtant Nicolas Sarkozy qui a pratiquement fixe le calendrier
d’examen de la proposition de loi, lors d’une visite d’Etat en Armenie,
debut octobre.

DELEGATION TURQUE

Le president francais avait alors mis en demeure Ankara de reconnaître
rapidement le massacre de 1,5 million d’Armeniens par les Turcs en 1915
en estimant que ce serait un “geste de reconciliation”. Dans ce cas,
avait-il explique, la France s’en tiendrait a sa legislation actuelle,
qui reconnaît depuis 2001 l’existence de ce genocide.

Si la Turquie persistait a le nier, avait-il ajoute, “la France
considèrerait qu’elle devrait aller plus loin dans la modification
de sa legislation pour que le negationnisme soit condamne penalement”.

Il avait refuse de donner publiquement un delai mais precise que ce
temps n’etait “pas infini” et que Paris ferait connaître sa position
“dans un delai assez bref”.

Selon l’ancien ministre d’origine armenienne Patrick Devedjian, qui
l’accompagnait, Nicolas Sarkozy aurait precise a des interlocuteurs
armeniens qu’il donnait aux dirigeants turcs jusqu’a la fin de 2011
pour reconnaître le genocide.

Le chef de l’Etat s’etait alors deja attire des reactions courroucees
d’Ankara, qui a depeche ces jours-ci a Paris une delegation de
parlementaires pour des “consultations” sur la proposition de loi,
avant son examen jeudi.

Selon l’ambassade de Turquie a Paris, cette delegation devait
notamment rencontrer mardi le conseiller diplomatique de Nicolas
Sarkozy Jean-David Levitte, le ministre des Affaires etrangères,
Alain Juppe, Bernard Accoyer, et le chef de file des deputes UMP,
Christian Jacob.

La diaspora armenienne en France, forte de 500.000 personnes, est a
nouveau un enjeu electoral a l’approche des elections presidentielle
et legislatives du printemps 2012.

Avec Yann Le Guernigou et John Irish, edite par Emmanuel Jarry

From: Baghdasarian