Armenian Genocide: condoning impunity

April 3, 2012 - 21:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - As it might be expected, Turkey’s EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis goes unpunished for his Armenian Genocide denial policy. He got away with the statement he issued during an economic forum in Switzerland, despite the fact he breached the Swiss law that banned denial of any genocide, including the Armenian one.

It would be naïve to think that Bagis plucked up the courage to state “there was no genocide”, unaware of the fact that his diplomatic immunity would protect him from Swiss Penal Code.

Statement by the Turkish Minister became sort of a “gauntlet” addressed to European legislation, and mockery of the Swiss moral principles.

Switzerland resolved to take up the gauntlet. Not without reason the Prosecutor of the Canton of Zurich pledged to conduct the probe against Bagis up to the end, whilst highlighting the need to consider the Turkish Minister’s diplomatic immunity.

Nevertheless, the prosecutor's office resolved that it can’t instigate a criminal case against the minister of another country, as it was back in 2007, when three Turks were sentenced in Switzerland to 150 days of imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 Swiss francs for Armenian Genocide denial.

This time, Switzerland will be forced to swallow mockery of its own legislation. Meanwhile, the Turkish authorities should think over the conduct of their ministers, as Europe has numerous other methods to affect the country which strives for accession to the EU, ignoring its laws at the same time.