Hay Dat says Genocide bill adoption French Armenians’ victory

PanARMENIAN.Net - Adoption of the bill penalizing Armenian Genocide denial is the victory of Armenian community in France, according to the head of Hay Dat French office.

As Hrach Varzhapetian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, despite Turkey’s pressure, the French Parliament passed the bill by a majority of votes.

“Armenian community in France, pleased with the French parliament decision, will look forward to final ratification of the draft law in January 2012,” he said, expressing hope for the document to be ratified.

Mr. Varzhapetyan further voiced confidence for France to serve an example for other states.

On December 22 French National Assembly passed the bill penalizing Armenian Genocide denial, with the number of votes in favor and against not reported yet.

On December 7, the Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly has passed the bill introduced by MP Valerie Boyer (UMP).

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.”