Expert says fight for penalizing denial of Armenian Genocide to get new stimulus

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS: In this phase of the penalization of the denial of the Armenian Genocide the winners were Turkish pressures, threats and bribe, responsible for the political affairs office of the ARF Bureau Kiro Manoyan said, adding that the works in that direction must continue with new stimulus.

"There are people in the Constitutional Council who are members of pro-Turkish organizations, or former political figures-lawyers who were against this idea," the speaker said. He said the decision does not bring any respect to France. Manoyan noted that France has penalized the denial of Holocaust. He said it is necessary to exert great efforts for finding grounding for criminalization of denial of one genocide and for not penalizing the denial of the other.

Kiro Manoyan described the assignment of President of France Nicolas Sarkozy to draft a new bill as "assignment of good will". Sarkozy will not manage to complete the process: the parliament is going for vacation in one-two days. Manoyan believes that the decision of the French Constitutional Council is not only result of Turkey's pressures: the statements of U.S. secretary of state, representatives of certain European establishments also had their role.

It was the most convenient moment for adoption of the bill but the speaker said such moment may appear again.