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ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL PASSED IN FRANCE
Sky News
http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=710739&vId=
Jan 24 2012
Australia
A bill making it a crime to deny the 1915 killings of Armenians was
a genocide has passed both houses of France's parliament.
The Senate's vote on Monday came despite Turkey's threats to impose
new sanctions on France. It already suspended military, economic and
political ties when the lower house of French parliament passed the
bill last month.
The measure now needs to be signed by President Nicolas Sarkozy,
whose party proposed it, to become a law.
The Senate adopted the bill without any amendments, with 127 votes
in favour and 86 votes against.
The bill, which punishes denial of genocides recognised by France by
a year in prison and 45,000 euros ($A55,000) in fines, has therefore
now been adopted by parliament.
While most historians contend that the 1915 killings of Armenians as
the Ottoman Empire broke up was the 20th century's first genocide,
Turkey vigorously denies that.
France now officially recognises two genocides: the Nazi Holocaust
of Jews during World War II and the deaths of hundreds of thousands
of Armenians in eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1917. The country
already has a law punishing Holocaust denial.
Sky News
http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=710739&vId=
Jan 24 2012
Australia
A bill making it a crime to deny the 1915 killings of Armenians was
a genocide has passed both houses of France's parliament.
The Senate's vote on Monday came despite Turkey's threats to impose
new sanctions on France. It already suspended military, economic and
political ties when the lower house of French parliament passed the
bill last month.
The measure now needs to be signed by President Nicolas Sarkozy,
whose party proposed it, to become a law.
The Senate adopted the bill without any amendments, with 127 votes
in favour and 86 votes against.
The bill, which punishes denial of genocides recognised by France by
a year in prison and 45,000 euros ($A55,000) in fines, has therefore
now been adopted by parliament.
While most historians contend that the 1915 killings of Armenians as
the Ottoman Empire broke up was the 20th century's first genocide,
Turkey vigorously denies that.
France now officially recognises two genocides: the Nazi Holocaust
of Jews during World War II and the deaths of hundreds of thousands
of Armenians in eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1917. The country
already has a law punishing Holocaust denial.