Armenians urge EU to echo Swiss ‘genocide' ruling

13.03.2007
Today's Zaman

Buoyed by a Swiss court's decision condemning Doğu Perinçek, chairman of the Turkish Workers' Party, for denying the Armenian "genocide," the Armenian lobby has called on the European Union to follow suit and also criminalize genocide denial.

In a written statement yesterday the European Armenian Federation called the Swiss verdict "an unprecedented legal victory." This is the first time a court has given a verdict on the Armenian "genocide" and is also the first time the alleged genocide has been recognized by a court of criminal law.

EU president Germany wants to criminalize the denial of recognized genocides, war crimes and crimes against humanity under a pan-EU law, with prison sentences for offenders of between one and three years. Though the Armenian lobby strongly supports the bid, several member states like Britain, Italy and Denmark oppose such legislation on the basis of freedom of expression.

"At the time when the EU is considering EU legislation aiming at penalizing genocide denial, the Swiss case shows the path to follow, i.e., the one in which denials of all clear instances of genocides are fined -- including those, such as the Armenian genocide, that have never been previously sanctioned by international jurisdiction," read the statement.

A controversial figure in Turkey, Perinçek immediately made it clear he would appeal the Swiss court's decision. He also signaled that he could take the verdict to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if the verdict is upheld by the Swiss Supreme Court. Perinçek was fined 3,000 Swiss francs and has to pay another 1,000 in damages to the Switzerland-Armenia Association.

The Swiss press has criticized the verdict, arguing it has created the potential for future problems.

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