ARFD: French Genocide bill cancellation not the end of world

PanARMENIAN.Net - Cancellation of the French bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial is not the end of world, ARFD Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Director Kiro Manoyan said.

There is no need to panic; Turkish threats, political pressure and bribing took the lead this time which does not arouse respect to France, he told a press conference in Yerevan.

ARFD representative mentioned that the Armenian Diaspora already voiced its determination to continue working towards adoption of such bill. There is no information about who voted in the French Constitutional Council and how it went because the voting was a secret one. However, Manoyan said, the Council members involved those backing Turkey who earlier voted against adoption of the bill in the French Senate, and they have voted against it in the Council as well.

“February appeared to be unsuccessful for us; U.S. 9th Circuit Court ruled that a California law that allows state courts to hear insurance claims by victims of the Armenian Genocide trampled on U.S. foreign policy,” Manoyan said.

Nicolas Sarkozy will not manage to change the situation during his presidency term despite statements that he will pursue the paths he’s embarked on, Manoyan said adding that the French Senate is going on a vacation in a few days and is not likely to hold a special session on the Armenian Genocide bill.

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”.

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.