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ANKARA: 'Genocide' Bill, A Modern Inquisition

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  • ANKARA: 'Genocide' Bill, A Modern Inquisition

    'GENOCIDE' BILL, A MODERN INQUISITION
    By Selcuk Gultasli, Brussels

    Zaman, Turkey
    May 18 2006

    Olivier Corten, a professor at Belgium's ULB University Faculty of Law,
    believes bills that would criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide
    are a "modern inquisition" and said if the Armenian massacres are
    defined as "genocide," we could say that Europe's colonial history
    is full of "genocides."

    Corten, one of the experts who informed the genocide committee at
    the Belgian Senate, said since he is not a historian he does now know
    about the 1915 incidents in detail, but he is against the bill.

    He spoke to Zaman before discussion of the denial bill begins in
    France.

    Speaking to Corten after he advised the Senate Commission not to accept
    such a bill, Corten told Zaman he is against the bill punishing those
    who deny the Armenian "Genocide" for two reasons.

    Firstly, he stresses there is no court verdict about Armenian genocide,
    and secondly, there is not a retrospective principle in law.

    If we expand the genocide expression to cover the pre-World War II
    period, many incidents could be called genocide, Corten said, "Then,
    we should go back to 18th and 19th centuries, probably even to Roman
    Empire period."

    Corten said it is difficult to adapt "genocide" laws to penal code
    and commented, "You commit a crime, but at the time you commit the
    crime the consequences are not clear; namely, you commit a crime that
    is non-existing in law."

    'Belgium's Attitude is Unethical'

    Corten, pointing out Belgium is still trying to face its past with
    Congo, said it is unethical for Belgium to give lessons to Turkey
    before "cleaning the front side of its own house."

    Corten does not call the acts Belgian King Leopold II committed
    in Congo a "genocide," saying instead: "This is not genocide since
    the massacres were held for money. In the same way, if there is no
    intention of categorically destroying, an event cannot be called
    genocide no matter how many people died."

    Corten, indicating he uses very narrow criteria for the definition
    of genocide, said ethnic cleansing is not genocide; genocide can
    be used in reference to the massacres of the Jews and the massacres
    in Rwanda where the intention of exterminating a race was obvious:
    "If in war time people are killed for the security of a region,
    this is not genocide according to me, but instead a war crime. Even
    if you apply current conditions of genocide, this situation does not
    constitute genocide."

    "Emir Kir Started the Discussion"

    Emphasizing his doubt that Belgium would pass the draft bill in its
    current form, in which a prison sentence and a hefty fine would be
    given to those found guilty of denying the so-called genocide, Corten
    believes that the discussion was started by Turkish origin minister,
    Emir Kir, only for domestic political reasons.

    "If this bill passes unchanged, it will be a surprise to me," said
    Corten, pointing out that thousands of Turkish Belgians and Turkish
    officials coming to Brussels for EU negotiations might be imprisoned
    if the bill becomes law.

    Underlining that in the past Belgium had issued a similar problematic
    law to judge war criminals worldwide, which was later dissolved,
    Corten stated that Belgium make the same mistake again.

    Belgian Minister Emir Kir was attacked when he used the term,
    "so-called genocide" during an interview. Some Belgian politicians
    in relation with the lobby called for Kir's resignation.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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