Armenia to come forward as third side on Perinçek’s case

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenia is involved in the case of Doğu Perinçek against Switzerland (Perinçek v. Switzerland, App. no. 27510/08) as a third side.

Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia informed Armenpress that the Grand Chamberof theEuropean Court of Human Rights confirmed today the possibility of Armenia’s participation. The session is scheduled for 28 January 2015. Before that the Armenian side will introduce its position to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)in a written form and at the January 28th session - verbally.

General Prosecutor Gevorg Kostanyan had applied to ECHR with a request to come forth as a third side on Perinçek’s case on August 20, 2014.

Turkey too is involved in Perinçek v. Switzerland case as a third side.

On 9 March 2007, Turkish national Doğu Perinçek was sentenced in Canton Vaud to both a financial penalty and a criminal fine under Art. 261bis CC for denying the Armenian Genocide. The Cantonal Court of Canton Vaud and the Federal Supreme Court both rejected appeals against the judgment. In its ruling of 17 December 2013, the competent chamber of the European Court of Human Rights determined that the Swiss courts' rulings violated the appellant's right to freedom of expression.

Perinçek, the leader of a minor Turkish political party, had traveled to Switzerland in 2005 with the intention of daring the Swiss authorities to punish him for denying the Armenian Genocide. He brazenly called the Armenian Genocide an “international lie”. In response to a criminal complaint filed by the Switzerland-Armenia Association, Perinçek was tried and fined for racial discrimination by the Lausanne Police Court in March 2007. A Swiss Appeals Court confirmed his sentence, ruling that he had violated Article 261bis of the Criminal Code. The National Council (parliament) of Switzerland had already recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2003. Perinçek then appealed his case to the Federal Tribunal, the highest court in Switzerland, which reconfirmed his sentence.