Sylvie Andrieux: France must adopt Genocide bill to protect its citizens

December 22, 2011 - 14:23 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Denial of historic truth behind the Armenian Genocide is an outrage against human memory and European values, according to a member of French National Assembly.

“Despite the many laws penalizing racism in French legislation, to protect its citizens, France must adopt a law condemning denial of all genocides. Adoption of a bill is a civil decision,” Sylvie Andrieux said during the debate at French parliament.

“However, by adopting the law, France does not mean to condemn Turkey. On the contrary, we hope for normalization of Armenia-Turkey ties,” the MP said.

Today, December 22, the French parliament is debating the bill, which envisages a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros for those who publicly deny the Armenian Genocide in France.

Turkey has piled pressure on France to drop the law ahead of the vote, with President Abdullah Gul and a Turkish delegation to Paris warning its adoption will spark a diplomatic crisis and have economic consequences.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu threatened to introduce a bill on “the genocide committed by France in Algeria, where 45000 local residents died in 1945.” PACE President Mevlut Cavusoglu laid “the responsibility of possible worsening of relations between Paris and Ankara on Nicolas Sarkozy.”