New Genocide bill submitted to French National Assembly

February 11, 2013 - 20:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - A new bill criminalizing Armenian Genocide denial has been submitted to the French National Assembly.

The draft law, based on the article criminalizing genocide and war crimes, was initiated by French MP Valérie Boyer, Nouvelles d`Arménie reported. The bill envisages a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for denial of genocide.

On January 23, 2012, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing 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 that a bill adopted by the French Senate making it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide was anti-constitutional.

In July, French President Francois Hollande confirmed plans for a new law criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide with representatives of the Armenian community.