Forum of Armenian Unions in Europe (FAUE) informs that chairman of the Slovakian Supreme Court, former deputy minister and Minister of Justice Stefan Harabin met the chairman of the FAUE Ashot Grigoryan and handed him a letter which especially says:
“As I have already announced while I was the Minister of Justice, we managed to approve a law about the denial of Armenian Genocide. According to the law Genocide, racism, Holocaust and communism are the crimes against humanity and one who justifies or denies them must be sentenced with five years if it is done deliberately. If the announcement is made accidentally, then the person must be sentenced with three years. This law has worked inSlovakiasince September, 2009.
So Slovakia is the first county in the EU which accepted the law about criminalization of Armenian Genocide denial and is the second country in Europe afterSwitzerlandwhich accepted this law. I am really surprised that Turkey now makes such noise around the resolution discussed by French Senate.Turkey made noise when Slovakia and Switzerland accepted such laws but the noise did not give any result then as well.
I apply to the President of French Senate and to the Senate members and announce that this law has a great importance. I think that Slovakian President will joint French President and will apply to the EU member countries to accept this law. I will also apply to the members of Slovakian National Council to assist French Senate to approve the bill. We will share our experience with the EU parliamentarians to struggle against Turkish denial of Armenian Genocide.
Stefan Harabin, 09.01.2012, Bratislava, Slovakia”.Ashot Grigoryan informs that before Slovakia accepted the law Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Turkish Embassy in Slovakia made great efforts to demontage the monument devoted to the victims of Armenian Genocide in the center of Bratislava. But afterSlovakiaaccepted law on criminalization of Armenian Genocide denial no Turk official has tried to do anything on this issue.
Remind that on December 22 French National Assembly accepted the draft on criminalization of Armenian Genocide denial which defines a year arrest and fine of 45.000 Euros for those who will deny Armenian Genocide. The draft will be discussed at French Senate on January 23. If it is approved it will be presented to the French President to be signed.
Turkish sources announced before that French President is going to offer all EU countries to accept such a law.
Turkeystarted a large campaign againstFrance, but no significant results are seen yet.
via Another headache for Turkey.