Sarkozy’s political game behind Genocide bill - expert

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian political analyst Sergey Shakaryants commented on the French Constitutional Council’s ruling the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial as unconstitutional.

The expert deemed the Council’s decision on the bill inadmissible in a democratic country like France.

As Mr. Shakaryants told a press-conference, the draft law is a mere political game by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, helping him to advance his ranking.

“Two days have passed since the ruling; however Sarkozy hasn’t kept his promise namely referring the bill on Holocaust to the Constitutional Council,” Mr. Shakaryants said, adding the decision did Armenia no actual harm.

The French Constitutional Council on Feb 28 ruled the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial adopted earlier by the Senate of France as unconstitutional. The Council justified it by the fact that the law “contradicts Article 33 of the Constitution of France and the freedom of speech”.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill with 127 votes for and 86 against. If signed into law by the President, the bill would impose 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.

Turkey reacted furiously when the Senate approved the law. Ankara halted political and military cooperation with France and was threatening to cut off economic and cultural ties if the law took effect.