The French Constitutional Council supported the arguments of parliamentarians who signed a petition saying the bill on the Armenian Genocide verges on censorship, said member of the Senate commission for international affairs, deputy chairman of France-Caucasus friendship group Natalie Goulet .

“Cancellation of the bill by the French Constitutional Council on February 28 is the defeat of President Nicolas Sarkozy who did not follow the advice of experienced lawyers and wished to turn the parliament into his instrument,” Goulet declared. She said deputies honourably withstood the “pressure” and appeared strong enough to oppose it.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial 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.

On February 28, the French Constitutional Council 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”.