Hubert Haenel: French Senate will never pass bill criminalizing Armenian Genocide denialOctober 24, 2008 - 15:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The French Senate "will never adopt the bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide," a prominent leader in the Senate said. In 2006, the French National Assembly adopted the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. The bill was blocked by the Senate, but the vote in the lower house of the parliament dealt a blow to bilateral relations between Turkey and France. "The issue is closed. The Senate will never adopt this law," said Hubert Haenel, president of the Senate's Commission for European Union Affairs when addressing a seminar titled "The Republic in France and Turkey" at Bilgi University in Istanbul. He said the atmosphere between the two countries had changed, implying also that there was a different conjecture that would also make it difficult for the Senate to make a decision that would damage bilateral relations, the Turkish Daily News reports. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |