Armenian leader hails Francois Hollande’s stance on Genocide bill

PanARMENIAN.Net - France’s policy on the Armenian Genocide wasn’t imposed by Yerevan, according to Armenian President.

As Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Le Figaro French daily, “France took an independent decision to recognize the Genocide.”

“Genocide denial spells perpetuation of the crime. Those trying to reevaluate the history of the genocide perpetrated on other nation, share responsibility for the crime,” Mr. Sargsyan said.

The Armenian leader found it hard to predict the outcome of the bill on criminalization of Genocide denial. The President further hailed French leader Francois Hollande’s position on the issue.

Recently, Mr. Hollande reiterated a pledge to redraft the law criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial in France, stressing the need to ensure the legal framework to avoid censorship by the Constitutional Council.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill making it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide. The bill envisaged imposing 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.

Later, the French Constitutional Council ruled the bill as anti-constitutional. In a statement the Council said the document represented an “unconstitutional breach of the practice of freedom of expression and communication.