Turkish MFA "condemned" verdict of Swiss court towards Dogu Perincek

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey "condemned" the verdict of Swiss court, according to which leader of Turkish Workers' Party Dogu Perincek was convicted of racial discrimination for denying the Armenian Genocide. "The court's verdict is inappropriate, baseless and disputable. This decision is unacceptable for the Turkish nation," the statement of Turkish MFA says, according to which the verdict of Lausanne court "violates freedom of speech". The Turkish MFA has also "condemned" the coverage of legal process by Swiss Media" calling it "subjective", RFE/RL reports.



The court in Lausanne handed Perincek a suspended fine of SFr 9,000 ($7,336) as well as a one-off financial penalty of SFr 3,000. The court also ruled that Perincek would have to pay SFr 1,000 to the Swiss-Armenian Association as a symbolic gesture, which appeared as civil plaintiff. Perincek has to pay all costs, which exceed SFr 15 000. According to the Swiss law of anti-racist discrimination the defendant also was threatened by 3 years of imprisonment. Being in Switzerland in 2005 Perincek twice declared that the Armenian Genocide is an "international lie".