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Turkish Politician Dogu Perincek Arrested...


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#1 Dave

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Posted 27 July 2005 - 01:54 PM

'ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS A GREAT INTERNATIONAL LIE'

Perincek Arrested in Switzerland for This Statement

July 24 marked 82 years of the Lausanne Treaty, which recognized modern Turkey's territorial wholeness and independence by legalizing national wars waged by Kemal Ataturk. This anniversary was celebrated in Turkey and Switzerland with special bustle. Interestingly, the arrangements on this occasion were organized by oppositional Republican People's Party and Democratic Left Party of Turkey and Workers' Party of Switzerland.

Turkish Public Television saw the reason of the celebration in the recent fact of casting doubt on the Lausanne Treaty The pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper labeled the arrangements a provocative act against Justice and Prosperity Party from forces fighting for purity of Kemalic principles, pointing out meanwhile that the celebration turned into demonstration of power.

The Lausanne-2005 arrangements in Winterthur and Lausanne on July 23-24 pulled in not only members of the Workers Party, Kemalist-Minded Union and Turks of Europe but also a group of 200 scientists and public figures from Turkey including the former president of "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", Rauf Denktas. They rallied in Lausanne chanting "Long Live Independent Turkey", "Down With American Imperialism" that slipped smoothly into crosswords.

Hurriyet newspaper informs that the president of Turkish History Foundation, Yusuf Halacoglu, also expressed willingness to take part in the arrangements but stood back after Swiss authorities' decision to detain him. He is wanted by the Swiss police for rejecting the Armenian Genocide. "Armenian genocide is a great international lie", chairman of the Workers' Party Dogu Perincek backed Halacoglu on May 7.

On July 23, when Perincek was repeating this statement in Winterthur, law-enforcers sanctioned by the prosecutor of the town arrested him in the hall and bundled off to the Prosecutor's Office. Interrogation lasted 3.5 hours. Perincek was released after the Turkish Foreign Ministry interfered.

Foreign minister Abdullah Gul condemned arrests of leaders of Turkish political parties and said answering Hurriyet's question, "Having learned about the arrest of Perincek, we interfered immediately. Turkish consul-general to Zurich, Mehmed Emre, witnessed his interrogation. I was informing PM Erdogan all night through. Such an approach to Turkish party leaders is unacceptable".

By Hakob Chakrian


If you want to watch a video clip about the demonstration, click on ''Turcs et Kurdes manifestent à Lausanne....''

http://www.tsr.ch/ts...y=1122193986000

#2 Dave

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Posted 27 July 2005 - 06:55 PM

http://www.swissinfo...y=1122495564000

#3 iminhokis

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Posted 28 July 2005 - 06:25 AM

Swiss Armenian Association keeps you up to date with this topic:

visit for our "Revue de Press" (articles in all languages):

http://www.armenian....negationB_F.php

#4 iminhokis

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Posted 28 July 2005 - 06:28 AM

Switzerland Detains Turkish Politician
For Denying the Armenian Genocide

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier


In recent years, tensions have been steadily mounting between Switzerland
and Turkey following the adoption of resolutions recognizing the Armenian
Genocide by various Swiss cities, cantons (states) and the Federal
Parliament. Visits by government ministers and parliamentary groups have
been postponed or cancelled and economic/political relations have been
adversely affected.

A new dispute between the two countries flared up this past weekend when a
large number of Turks from several European countries and Turkey arrived in
Switzerland to celebrate the 82nd anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne
which marked the foundation of the Turkish Republic and reversed the ceding
of lands to various nationalities, including the Armenians, as mandated
three years earlier by the Treaty of Sevres.

Among the dignitaries expected to travel to Switzerland on this occasion
were Rauf Denktash, Former President of Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus,
Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu, Chairman of the Turkish History Foundation, Dogu
Perincek, Chairman of the Workers’ Party in Turkey, and several other
well-known revisionists of the Armenian Genocide, including Gunduz Aktan,
former member of the infamous Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission,
Dr. Hikmet Ozdemir, Head of the Armenian Studies Department of the Turkish
History Foundation, and Sukru Elekdag, former Turkish Ambassador to the
United States.

At the last minute, Dr. Halacoglu had second thoughts and decided not to
travel to Switzerland. He told the Turkish media that he was concerned about
“possible provocations” against him, as he had been summoned by a Swiss
Court for having questioned the veracity of the Armenian Genocide in remarks
made on May 4, 2004, in Winterthur, in violation of Swiss law which
prohibits the denial, belittling or justifying of genocide. It is not known
if Aktan, Elekdag and Ozdemir ended up going to Switzerland. They may have
also changed their travel plans to avoid similar legal action against them.

Dogu Perincek did go, however, only to get himself in legal trouble with the
Swiss authorities. He had already made denialist statements on the Armenian
Genocide during a previous visit to Lausanne and Bern on May 7, 2005. The
Swiss-Armenia Association alerted the Swiss authorities on July 15, 2005
that he and other Turkish denialists were about to enter the country with
the intent of breaking Swiss laws once again.

Last Saturday, after Perincek told reporters in Winterthur that “the
Armenian Genocide is an international lie,” he was detained and questioned
for several hours by the public prosecutor. Winterthur police spokesman
Werner Benz was quoted as saying that Perincek was interrogated for denying
the Armenian Genocide. A criminal probe was launched against him as he is
suspected of violating Swiss anti-racism laws. During his questioning, he
was accompanied by two Turkish lawyers and diplomats representing the
Turkish Embassy in Bern.

Following his conditional release, Perincek bragged about his confrontation
with the Swiss prosecutor. He boldly repeated the same lies about the
Armenian Genocide the next day in Lausanne, even though he was warned by the
Winterthur public prosecutor not to make similar denialist statements in
future public appearances in Switzerland. Following his remarks, the public
prosecutor in Lausanne requested that Perincek appear in front of him to be
interrogated at a later date.

While Perincek was gloating over the fact that he had defended the honor of
Turkey in Switzerland, little did he realize that he was inadvertently
helping publicize the Armenian Genocide. Thanks to Perincek’s misguided
efforts, newspapers, wire services and TV stations around the world printed
and aired hundreds of news items in dozens of languages. No amount of money
spent by Armenians could have bought this kind of international publicity
for the Armenian Genocide.

To make matters worse for the Turks, the Foreign Minister of Turkey,
Abdullah Gul, issued a statement condemning the Swiss authorities for
detaining Perincek. He thereby helped generate even more publicity for the
Armenian Genocide in the international media. As the official of an
autocratic state, Gul put himself in the ridiculous position of lecturing
the Swiss authorities on “respecting the principle of freedom.” He
threatened that Turkey would take necessary steps in light of further
assessments of the situation. “We became involved the minute we heard that
Perincek had been taken to the prosecutor’s office for questioning. Our
Consul in Zurich, Mehmet Emre, has been with Perincek every step along the
way. Our Ambassador in Bern, Alev Kilic, has been keeping me up to date on
all of the developments. And I have been keeping the Prime Minister up to
date through the night. It is simply not possible for us to accept this
being done to a Turkish leader of a political party,” Gul said.

After such around the clock monitoring of the situation, Armenians would
hope that Gul would carry out his threats and take retaliatory steps against
Switzerland, thereby further antagonizing the Swiss against Turkey. The
additional political fireworks would result in even more media coverage of
the Armenian Genocide.

While pretending to defend the principles of freedom and coming to the
rescue of a fellow Turk, Gul may not have paid sufficient attention to the
fact that he was actually supporting one of most dubious characters in
Turkish politics. A Turkish journalist, who was in Lausanne covering the
event, was quoted by the Swiss “24 Heures” as saying that he deplored the
“extremist” speeches delivered on that day. He said that Dogu Perincek had
very few followers in Turkey. The Swiss paper also reported that even some
Turks were keeping their distance from the events in Lausanne.

Who actually is Dogu Perincek? He is the Chairman of a minor leftist party.
The State Department reported that he “served 11 months in prison on a
sentence for illegal possession of classified state documents, assisting a
terrorist organization, and possession of unlicensed firearms.” He was
subsequently “acquitted on charges of assisting the PKK and possessing
secret state documents.”

According to Mehmet Ali Birand, a prominent Turkish journalist, Perincek’s
party received less 1% of the votes in the last elections. Furthermore,
Birand states that Perincek has written in his book on Kemalism that there
were “fascistic practices during the Ataturk era.” Perincek has referred to
the Turkish Armed Forces “as a fascistic army,” according to Birand. Does
Gul share Perincek’s views on Ataturk’s fascistic rule and the fascistic
army? Birand writes that “in many of his speeches Perincek likened
Ataturk…to Milosevic and Saddam.”

Furthermore, Birand states that Perincek called Rauf Denktash, the former
President of Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, “a British collaborator.”
Perincek now hails Denktash as a national hero and accompanied him “to
celebrate the Turkish victory at Lausanne.” According to the Kurdistan
Observer, before becoming a Kemalist, Perincek was a Maoist.

It is simply amazing that the likes of Perincek and Gul dare to open their
mouths and give a country like Switzerland lessons in democracy and freedom
of speech. Nevertheless, the more they talk, the more they disgrace
themselves and the more they provide free publicity for the Armenian Cause.

#5 Johannes

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 09:56 AM

We knew that Dogu Perincek's grand-grand father was Armenian. I could not found the english version of the report.
Search about him in turkish media in the date 18 / 09 / 2008.

#6 Johannes

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Posted 18 December 2013 - 03:20 PM

Մարդու իրավունքների եվրոպական դատարանը արդարացրել է Բանվորական կուսակցության ղեկավար Դողու Փերինչեքին, որին Շվեյցարիայի դատարանը 2007 թվականին մեղավոր էր ճանաչել Հայոց ցեղասպանությունը ժխտելու համար եւ 12 հազար շվեյցարական ֆրանկով տուգանելու որոշում կայացրել:
   Եվրոպական դատարանը որոշել է, որ Շվեյցարիայի դատարանը խախտել է Մարդու իրավունքների եվրոպական կոնվենցիան, մարդիկ ազատ արտահայտվելու իրավունք ունեն: Որոշման մեջ նշված է, թե Հայոց ցեղասպանությունը ճանաչած երկրները անպայման չէ, որ այդ պաշտոնական տեսակետը վիճարկողների դեմ քրեական պատիժներ նախատեսող օրենքներ ընդունեն:


http://armworld.am/d...eid=145670

--------

Մարդու իրավունքների եվրոպական դատարանն Առաջին համաշխարհային պատերազմի տարիներին թուրքերի կողմից իրականացված հայերի ցեղասպանության ժխտումը քրեական հանցագործություն չի ճանաչել: Այս մասին հաղորդում է Газета.ru-ն՝ հղում կատարելով Reuters-ին:

Բացի այդ՝ դատարանը խոսքի ազատության խախտում է համարել շվեյցարական օրենքը, որը պատիժ է սահմանում ցեղասպանությունը հերքելու համար:

Մարդու իրավունքների եվրոպական դատարանը նաև կոչ է արել Ֆրանսիային՝ հրաժարվել ցեղասպանությունը հերքելու համար պատասխանատվություն սահմանող օրենքից:

 http://www.tert.am/a...rdu-iravunqner/

#7 Johannes

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Posted 18 December 2013 - 03:22 PM

ԱՀԱ քեզի Եւրոպա

#8 Yervant1

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Posted 19 December 2013 - 10:33 AM

09:52 19/12/2013 » TOPIC OF THE DAY

European Court decision on Genocide denial strongly condemned

The Armenian National Committee office in France and the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (ANC of Europe) issued a joint statement Tuesday strongly condemning the Dec. 17 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that the denial of the Armenian genocide is not a criminal offense, Asbarez reported.
According to the Court, the 2007 decision of the Lausanne Police Court against the head of Turkish Workers’ Party Dogu Perincek is a violation of the right to freedom of expression.
The statement considered the ruling to be direct assistance to the wave of denial orchestrated by official Ankara and Baku throughout Europe. “Once again hiding behind the right to free speech, and following the example of the French Constitutional Council, the European Court undermines with this infamous decision the right to dignity of the victims and descendants of the Armenian genocide,” read the statement.
The statement further noted that the decision will “undoubtedly strengthen extremist movements” and undermine the voices calling for justice from within Turkey.
“Moreover, by declaring that ‘it would be very difficult to identify a general consensus’ on the Armenian genocide, the Court aligns itself with Perincek’s statement that the Armenian genocide is an ‘international lie.’ The Court’s approach that ‘clearly distinguished the present case from those concerning the negation of the crimes of the Holocaust’ is also deplorable. How can such a distinction be made by the highest human rights court in Europe?”
In conclusion, the statement noted that the ANC of France, in coordination with the EAFJD Brussels office, will fight against this unacceptable decision. “Switzerland has three months to appeal this verdict. We have requested a meeting with the Swiss Ambassador in Paris, to present our expectations from the Swiss authorities. Coordinated efforts will be made in other countries as well, through local ANCs and regional offices, as well as through official Yerevan, as we form a united front against this decision,” concluded the statement.
Turkish Foreign Ministry reacts

In a written statement issued on Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, “The ECHR ruling is a milestone regarding the preservation of freedom of expression, which is a basic element of societies attached to the principle of freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” the Hurriyet Daily News reported.
“The ruling is a significant warning against attempts to enforce a unilateral view of history through legal means, and also against the politicization of law and history,” the statement added.

 
 

Source: Panorama.am



#9 Yervant1

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Posted 19 December 2013 - 10:48 AM

European Court: Turk not guilty of racism in denial of Armenian Genocide
European_court_of_human_rights.JPG

Photo: www.wikipedia.org

 

By Gohar Abrahamyan 
ArmeniaNow reporter
 
 
 
 
Denying that mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 was genocide is not a criminal offense, the European Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday, in a case involving Switzerland. 


The Court has satisfied the leader of the leftist Turkish Workers' Party, Dogu Perincek’s claim against Switzerland (Pericnhek is known for activities aimed at preventing international recognition of the Armenian Genocide), saying that the Swiss law against genocide denial violates the principle of freedom of expression. 

In 2005, Perincek, while delivering a lecture in Switzerland, publicly denied the fact of the Armenian Genocide, branding it as “an international lie”. On March 9, 2007, following a lawsuit filed by Armenians, a Swiss court found him guilty of racial discrimination, stating that Perincek manifested “racists trends”. 

Turkish media views the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as of historic significance and presents it as Turkey’s victory. 

The ruling, however, may be appealed within three months at the ECHR Grand Chamber.

The judges cited a 2012 ruling by France's Constitutional Council which struck down a law enacted by then President Nicolas Sarkozy's government as "an unconstitutional violation of the right to freedom of speech and communication". Last year French President François Orland stated his intentions to submit a new bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide. French Ambassador in Armenia Anri Reno told the press in late October that the new bill was being drafted in France. 

Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s Armenian Cause Office in Paris and The European Commission of the Armenian Cause released a joint statement on Wednesday strictly condemning the ECHR ruling, stating that it violates the rights of the victims of the Armenian Genocide and next generations’ right to dignity.

If the ruling stands, the groups argue, the rights of Armenians will be subject to future violation in Europe. Without this fundamental right no one can know what the Armenian nation’s further steps and means will be in its search for legal self-defense, the statement reads in part adding both structures would spare no efforts against this ‘unacceptable’ ruling of the European Court. 

Political analyst Ara Papyan, leading Modus Vivendi Center, says in reference to the decision that it is not about the fact of the genocide but rather about negative expressions which have always been a matter of controversy. 

Papyan reminds that these discussions have been ongoing for a long time, but the ruling comes only now. 
“Armenia has not been too honest recently in its relations with Europe, negotiated for three and a half years (for closer ties with the European Union) but withdrew at the very last moment,” Papyan says. “As the Russians say, ‘as you sow, you shall mow’, you were dishonest towards us, we respond the same way, everything is mutual.” 

As for appealing the ruling Papyan says there are no lawyers of international standards in Armenia to be able to file a proper appeal to the European Court. 



#10 Yervant1

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Posted 19 December 2013 - 10:57 AM

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
For Justice and Democracy
(former C.D.C.A. Europe)
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B-1000 BRUXELLES
Tel./Fax : +32 (0) 2 732 70 27
E-mail : contact@eafjd.org
Web : http://www.eafjd.org


European Court of Human Rights ruling a disgrace to Armenian Genocide
victims' memories; strengthens Turkish extremism and negationism
)

Brussels, 18 December 2013.- The European Court of Human Rights in its
ruling of December 17, 2013 has confirmed that the Armenian Genocide
denial does not constitute a delinquent act. According to it, the
decision adopted by the Court of Lausanne in 2007 condemning Dogu
Perincek, the president of Worker's Party of Turkey for his
negationist statements violates the principles of freedom of
expression.

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy condemns
this statement to its very dangerous extent that preaches impunity in
Europe and clears the way for the denial orchestrated by Ankara and
Baku. Once again, referring to the principles of freedom of
expression, the European Court, by its statement, has made void the
rights for honor and dignity, the protection of Genocide victims and
their descendants.

In the result of such a decision, if it is finalized, Armenians,
trampled and impinged upon their rights will not find a protection and
legal defense in Europe any more. Without an effective justice no one
can confirm what kind of steps will be undertaken by the European
citizens of Armenian origin in search of legal protection. This
statement will enforce Turkish extremism that sees itself encouraged
by this act ` and silence the voices of truth being raised in Turkey.

Moreover, the European Court of Human Rights stating that `the term
genocide does not constitute a consensus', it equates to Pernicek's
denialist statement of `Armenian Genocide is an international
lie'. Furthermore, how the ECHR can state that `this issue shall be
distinguished clearly from that of Holocaust denial'? How is it
possible to accept such a differentiation from the highest European
court on Human Rights? The court obviously has misinterpreted its
role, commenting historically and politically proven facts, on
unfounded and extremely oversimplified arguments, without even
consulting the International Genocide Scholars Association, which
unanimously accepted the Armenian Genocide as such. The European
Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy, in collaboration with
the French Office of the Armenian Cause and the Armenian National
Committees all over Europe, will enact by all means to object to this
ruling. At present, Switzerland has a period of three months to appeal
against this ruling and ask for an appeal on this. Our efforts now
shall be directed to following the execution of such appeal by Swiss
authorities. For this purpose, the French Office of the Armenian
Cause, has asked for a meeting with the Ambassador of Switzerland in
France. Similar actions will be organized by different Committees of
the Armenian Cause all over the world, in an agreed manner.



#11 Yervant1

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Posted 19 December 2013 - 11:04 AM

A BLACK DAY FOR GENOCIDE PREVENTION, A FEAST DAY FOR GENOCIDE DENIERS

Strasbourg, 17th December 2013:

18.12.2013 21:17

http://www.aga-onlin...=de&commentId=2

Nachfolgend veröffentlichen wir den Kommentar der AGA-Vorsitzenden
Tessa Hofmann zur Entscheidung des Europäischen Gerichtshofs fur
Menschenrechte (EGMR).

A personal comment

Yesterday's publication of the decision of the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR) on the complaint by the Turkish nationalist Dogu
Perincek came as a shock and as a surprise. My personal relationship
to the claimant dates back into the year 2000, when I became a victim
of a slander campaign by Turkish media, started by Perincek and his
obscure party paper "Aydinlik", and spread by Turkey's largest daily,
"Hurriyet". The occasion was a petition by several Germany based
human rights NGOs to the German parliament, requesting the German
lawmakers' official recognition of the crimes, committed against
the Ottoman Christian population and the Armenians in particular as
genocide according to the UN Convention of 1948. In his revelations,
Perincek had tried to depict me as a leading German agent with NATO
connections, whose special mission was the destabilization of Turkey
by inflaming interethnic hatred. Towards this goal I had, according
to "Aydinlik/Hurriyet", allegedly freed the scholar Taner Akcam from
his prison in Turkey in armed action and brainwashed poor Taner,
until he became a propagandist of the "Armenian lies", as Perincek
put it. In two subsequent court trials here in Germany I could at
least fight the repetition of such slander by "Hurriyet". But that
did not stop Perincek and his comrades. Their next action was touring
Germany, France and Switzerland, where they purposefully denied the
Armenian genocide in public events (manifestations, speeches). But the
second and perhaps main purpose of these tours was the provocation of
European law systems on national levels. In Berlin, the head of our
police reacted rather sharpish by prohibiting public manifestations.

Perincek then addressed to Berlin courts and achieved the permission of
the manifestation, albeit with the condition to refrain from offensive
slogans such as "Armenian genocide lie" or "so-called genocide". These
condition Perincek and his followers violated at many occasions, albeit
in Turkish language. In Switzerland, a descendant of Armenian genocide
survivors, Sarkis Shahinian filed a court case against Perincek for
violating the anti-discrimination law of the Swiss Penal Code. On
9th March 2007, Perincek had been sentenced accordingly in Lausanne,
and I had the dubious joy to see the man during his trial when I gave
expert witness to the court. In the course of the following months
the Lausanne sentence has been approved by two higher courts of
Switzerland, including the highest. As a citizen of a country, which
is applying for full EU membership, Perincek had only one option left,
the ECHR. And the amazing thing happened: The highest court in the EU
criticized the Swiss court decisions and fully confirmed Perincek's
right to deny the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians (or overall 3.5
Ottoman Christians, if Perincek would ever consider these lesser
known co-victims).

To receive this outrageous decision, the judges argue more or less
in the following way:

A long period passed since 1915.

In difference to the genocide of the European Jewry, the Armenian
genocide (AG) is no internationally acknowledged or established fact.

As evidence, the ECHR points to the fact that even in Switzerland
exist opposing opinions about the AG, which subsequently has been
acknowledged only by one of the two legislative chambers of the
country. Furthermore there is no international court decision on
the AG.

The ECHR believes that Perincek did not violate the existing
anti-racist legislation of Switzerland, for he 'just' articulated
a personal opinion and allegedly did not act in order to offend
Armenians. After the above mentioned provocative tours of Perincek
in several EU states, this is a highly refutable allegation. Having
closely monitored his denialist and propagandist activities over the
years I know one thing for sure: Perincek does what he is doing with
full intent to humiliate Armenian communities and to encourage his
compatriots in Europe to follow his example and to provoke European
legislation without fear.

What are the general implications of the recent decision? The ECHR
has given greater weight to freedom of expression than the protection
against racism and xenophobia, including the protection of genocide
victims from denialism and continuing pain. The ECHR refuses to realize
the pain that, under the continuing official denial by the Turkish
Republic, purposeful genocide denial causes. At the same time the
ECHR decision continues a European trend that has started at the time
of Perincek's denial tours in Europe and led, in 2008, to the Appel
de Blois. Although this appeal was in its majority signed by French
historians, German scholars, too, articulated their discomfort with
any 'restrictions' of the liberty of opinion. To their mind, liberty
must include the right to deny genocide, for a genocide is either
generally acknowledged as a historic fact or not. In the first case
those, who deny facts, ridicule themselves, but must not be prosecuted
by the law. In the second case, the topic seems under-researched, and
sceptics have even more a right to doubt and deny. It must be admitted,
that the recent court decision has put the AG into the second category,
which is perhaps the most negative effect. Genocide is first of all
not a subject for the approval or disapproval by historians, but the
most severe crime and hence a subject for prosecutors and trials. In
this context the reluctance of the sovereign Armenian state to seek
an international court decision on the AG once again appears as
a failure. It is a comfort that laws and legal decisions are not
written in stone. They can and must be changed. If its political
will is strong enough, Switzerland can demand a revision of the
current decision at the Grand Chamber of the ECHR. But for this aim,
Armenian communities and NGOs in Europe have at least once to act in
synergic ways. It is a second comfort that two of the five involved
judges--Ms VuÄ~MiniÄ~G from Montenegro and Mr Pinto de Albuquerque
from Portugal-- expressed a very clear dissident statement.

We residents and citizens of EU states must decide which values
we give the highest priority, both on national, and EU levels. EU
politicians like to relate on Europe as a community of shared values.

As a European, however, I refuse to share a definition of liberty that
allows every chauvinist to confront, offend and humiliate minorities
under the pretext of liberty of opinion. It is an additional irony
that the chauvinist Perincek was guaranteed this liberty by the
EU's highest court, while his homeland still clings to a restrictive
legislation against dissenters: Whereas Europe allows the denial of the
Armenian genocide, Turkish penal laws prosecute those who acknowledge
historic facts. European problems with the concept of liberty are
manifold and not limited to genocide denial. In the last pre-election
campaign the extremist rightist part NPD ("National Democratic Party of
Germany") sent hate letters to foreign born candidates for the German
Bundestag. The candidates were urged to leave Germany voluntarily, in
order to prevent that they commit crimes. When some of the offended
addressees sought the protection of German law authorities, their
claims were turned down by the state attorney on the grounds that it is
the lawful right of German Neo-Nazis to express their opinion. Is this
really what we want when allowing liberty of expression to chauvinists?

Further reading:

ECHR court decision
http://hudoc.echr.co...["001-139276"]}

Swiss and German decisions on Dogu Perincek:
http://www.aga-onlin...x.php?locale=de
 



#12 Louise Kiffer

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Posted 21 December 2013 - 03:34 AM

Denial that 1915 killings of Armenians was genocide constitutes freedom of expression: ECHR

 

La Cour europénne des Droits de d’ Homme a estimé mardi que la Suisse avait violé la liberté d’expression de Dogu Perincek en le condamnant pour avoir nié le génocide arménien.
Une décision qui pourrait bloquer le prochain texte de loi en France.



#13 Yervant1

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Posted 21 December 2013 - 11:36 AM

ECTHR JUDGMENT ON PERINCEK CASE IS NOT CLEAR-CUT - ARMENIAN JUSTICE MINISTER

December 20, 2013 | 14:46

YEREVAN. - Armenian Minister of Justice, Hrayr Tovmasyan, plans to
instruct one of his deputies to thoroughly review the European Court
of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment on the Dogu Perincek case.

Tovmasyan himself noted the aforesaid at a press conference on Friday.

In his words, however, the ruling is not clear-cut. It says that
Perincek is a historian and a scholar; the emphasis is placed on the
historical perspective. That is to say, the ECtHR does not raise the
fact of the Armenian Genocide, or its denial.

"We need to better examine the Court's decision and assess the next
steps. The fact that two of the seven [ECtHR] judges voted against
[Perincek's petition] says that the decision is not definite. It
draws parallels between the [Armenian] Genocide and the [Jewish]
Holocaust," Hrayr Tovmasyan stated.

The ECtHR recently ruled in favor of Armenian Genocide-denying Turkish
politician Dogu Perincek's lawsuit that was filed against Switzerland.

The said judgment by European Court of Human Rights was made on the
grounds of freedom of speech. In 2008, a Swiss court had convicted
Perincek for denying the Armenian Genocide. Dogu Perincek is Chairman
of the socialist Workers' Party of Turkey. In addition, he heads the
Talat Pasha organization, which actively fights against the Armenian
Genocide's recognition in Europe.

News from Armenia - NEWS.am



#14 Boghos

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Posted 22 December 2013 - 12:00 PM

Until when we'll wait for the crumbs to fall off from somebody else's plate?

#15 Yervant1

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 03:03 PM

Switzerland-Armenia Association disappointed at judgement on Dogu Perincek case

December 21, 2013 | 05:17


Switzerland-Armenia Association is deeply disappointed at the decision
of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment on Armenian
Genocide denial case,Tribune de Genève reported.

The ECtHR recently ruled in favor of Armenian Genocide-denying Turkish
politician Dogu Perincek's lawsuit that was filed against Switzerland.
The said judgment by European Court of Human Rights was made on the
grounds of freedom of speech. In 2008, a Swiss court had convicted
Perincek for denying the Armenian Genocide. Dogu Perincek is Chairman
of the socialist Workers' Party of Turkey.

According to the association, the judgement questions Swiss law
against racism. The authors say the judgment is not in line with
European principles and decisions in the struggle against racism and
xenophobia.

The Association strongly recommended that Switzerland should appeal
the judgment at the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human
Rights.

The issue will be discussed with all interested parties, and
Switzerland has three month to appeal the judgment.


News from Armenia - NEWS.am



#16 Yervant1

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 03:07 PM

French MP expresses regret over European Court judgment on Perincek case

December 21, 2013 | 00:41


PARIS. - French MP François Rochebloine, who is also vice president of
the France-Armenia Friendship Group at the French National Assembly,
issued a statement.

In the statement, Rochebloine expressed his regret over the European
Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment on the Dogu Perincek case,
Nouvelles d'Arménie reports.

`Under the name of the protection of the right to the freedom of
expressing opinion, the denial of the apparent fact is strengthened,
and this [comes] at a time when a movement, which acknowledges the
fact of the genocide, is emerging within the Turkish civil society.
Solely the search for the truth liberates and makes strong. Sadly, the
ECtHR has forgotten about that,' Rochebloine said in his statement.

The ECtHR recently ruled in favor of Armenian Genocide-denying Turkish
politician Dogu Perincek's lawsuit that was filed against Switzerland.
The said judgment by European Court of Human Rights was made on the
grounds of freedom of speech. In 2008, a Swiss court had convicted
Perincek for denying the Armenian Genocide. Dogu Perincek is Chairman
of the socialist Workers' Party of Turkey. In addition, he heads the
Talat Pasha organization, which actively fights against the Armenian
Genocide's recognition in Europe.


News from Armenia - NEWS.am
 



#17 Yervant1

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Posted 26 December 2013 - 03:49 PM

Switzerland Must Appeal European Court's
Verdict on the Armenian Genocide

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

The European Court of Human Rights issued last week a critical Armenian
Genocide-related ruling in the case of Dogu Perincek vs. Switzerland.
Perincek, 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, Perincek 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. Perincek then appealed his case to the Federal
Tribunal, the highest court in Switzerland, which reconfirmed his sentence.
On June 10, 2008, Perincek appealed his sentence to the European Court of
Human Rights in Strasbourg, claiming that many of his rights, including
freedom of expression, were violated by the Swiss courts. He demanded a
compensation of 140,000 euros for moral and financial damages, and court
expenses.
On Dec. 17, 2013, the European Court dismissed most of Perincek's claims
(Articles 6, 7, 14, 17, 18 of the European Convention) and rejected his
demand for compensation. However, five out of the seven Judges ruled that
Switzerland had violated Perincek's right to free expression (Article 10).
This was a highly unusual ruling since freedom of expression is not an
absolute right in European jurisprudence. Many European states impose
restrictions on free speech, including imprisonment for denying the
Holocaust. Punishing Holocaust denial, while condoning rejection of the
Armenian Genocide, is an unacceptable double standard. Either denial of
both genocides should be outlawed or neither.
The European Court's 80-page ruling was not easy to read, not only because
it was in French, but more importantly, the five Judges who ruled in
Perincek's favor misinterpreted almost all issues. A whole book could be
written to rebut their countless factual mistakes. The Judges
misrepresented Perincek's allegations, Swiss laws and court rulings, facts
of the Armenian Genocide and its international recognition, while
repeatedly contradicting themselves. To make matters worse, the four-page
press release issued by the Registrar of the Court last week further
distorted the Court's verdict, thereby completely confusing the
international media about the details of case.
The five Judges who endorsed Perincek's false accusations were: Guido
Raimondi (Italy), Peer Lorenzen (Denmark), Dragoljub Popovic (Serbia),
Andras Sajo (Hungary), and Helen Keller (Switzerland). The opposing Judges
were: Nebojsa Vucinic (Montenegro) and Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque
(Portugal). In a seven-page addendum to the verdict, Judges Raimondi and
Sajo contradicted themselves again, while making excuses for ruling in
Perincek's favor. Having raised questions about the veracity of `the
Armenian massacres,' after claiming that their task is not to assess the
facts of the genocide, the two concurring Judges assert that the
destruction of the Armenian people was government-sponsored, thereby
acknowledging its genocidal nature. Yet they insisted on referring to the
Armenian Genocide as `Mets Yegherrn' (sic) which they translate as `the
Grand Crime.' Dissenting Judges Vucinic and Pinto de Albuquerque, on the
other hand, attached to the verdict their 19-page well-researched
comprehensive report on the Armenian Genocide. This valuable study should
be translated into several major languages and disseminated worldwide.
More urgently, Armenian government officials and major diaspora
organizations have asked the Swiss government to appeal the European
Court's fallacious verdict to its 17-judge Grand Chamber before the 90-day
deadline. Armenia's Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan has called on
Armenians worldwide to protest the Court's verdict by contacting their
governments and sending letters of complaint to the Court. The Armenian
National Committee in Europe pledged to take all necessary measures to
object to the Court's ruling, urging Switzerland to file an appeal.
If left unchallenged, the European Court's ruling would have a chilling
effect not only on efforts to criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide
in other European countries, particularly France, but more importantly, on
the forthcoming Centennial of the Genocide. The Court's verdict, as it
stands, is an endorsement of the denialist stance of both Turkey and
Perincek, who is currently serving a life sentence in a Turkish jail for
engaging in criminal activity! Turkey had directly intervened in this case
by submitting extensive testimony to the European Court. The Turkish
Foreign Ministry issued a bold statement shamelessly applauding the Court's
verdict and boasting about its support for freedom of expression! Under
Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code, telling the truth about the Armenian
Genocide is a crime, while in Switzerland lying about the Genocide is an
offense!
For the sake of truth and justice, it is imperative that the Swiss
government appeal the Court's verdict and not succumb to Turkish political
and economic pressures.



#18 Yervant1

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Posted 26 December 2013 - 04:03 PM

Total BS!!!!!!!!!!

 

A MILESTONE VERDICT ON 'ARMENIAN GENOCIDE'

Today's Zaman, Turkey
Dec 25 2013

YAÅ~^AR YAKIÅ~^

The denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" will no longer be
considered a punishable act amongst the 47 member countries of the
Council of Europe, including Armenia, thanks to a historic verdict
made by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on a suit filed
by Turkish politician Dogu Perincek against Switzerland.

In a public statement made on May 7, 2005, in Lausanne, Perincek
said: "The claim that the Ottoman authorities perpetrated the crime
of genocide against the Armenians was an international lie." At
the instigation of a Swiss Armenian association, a local Lausanne
court found Perincek guilty of racial discrimination because of this
statement. Perincek filed a lawsuit at the ECtHR against this decision
and the court decided that Switzerland had violated Perincek's freedom
of expression.

The Armenians suffered a similar setback last year in France. In 2001,
The French Parliament had passed a law that consisted of one single
sentence, which reads as follows:

"France publicly recognizes the Armenian genocide of 1915."

This text looks more like a political declaration than a law in due
form. But it was the first step of a bigger aspiration, namely the
criminalization of the denial of the Armenian genocide. In fact,
a law to achieve this goal was adopted by the lower chamber of
the French parliament in 2006, but it was overturned by the upper
chamber. The Armenians did not give up. In 2012, a French deputy,
Mme. Boyer, initiated another law containing similar content. This
time, the same senate, contradicting what it had done six years ago,
voted in favor of this law. But this time the French Constitutional
Council disappointed the Armenians by overturning the Boyer's law. The
Armenian aspiration to make the denial of the genocide a punishable
offence was thus shelved once and for all in France. However, the
Armenians were hoping to achieve in other countries what they failed
to achieve in France. With the latest verdict of the ECtHR, this hope
is now gone for the member countries of the Council of Europe as well.

The ECtHR verdict has implications beyond recognizing Perincek's
right of expression:

First, Turkey has so far been hesitant to go to international courts
to challenge the Armenian claim of genocide because of fear of losing
the case. Now, the verdict has eased Turkey's hand.

Second, the Swiss Armenian association hoped to teach Perincek a lesson
on what not to do on the Armenian genocide issue, but it inflicted
irreparable damage to the Armenian efforts to criminalize the denial
of genocide because the verdict will now push several countries to
think twice before they consider passing a law in their respective
parliaments to recognize the Armenian genocide.

True, the recognition of genocide and punishing its denial are
two different subjects. But now that the denial has ceased to be
a punishable act, passing a law to recognize the Armenian genocide
will become an ineffective gesture to the Armenians at the cost of
antagonizing Turkey unnecessarily. Turkey should try to explain to
the member countries of the Council of Europe that passing such a
law is a futile exercise that is devoid of a field of application.

Third, the ECtHR verdict invalidates certain provisions of the EU
Framework Decision on Combating Racism and Xenophobia, especially
Article 1© that makes the denial of the crime of genocide
a punishable offence and probably Article 2(4), which authorizes
national tribunals to qualify an act as genocide. Therefore, the
framework decision will have to be adjusted to the new situation
created by the ECtHR verdict. Turkey should raise this issue with
the EU at the meetings of the Association Council.

Having said this, no matter how important the court verdict is,
we should not lose sight of the fact the verdict does not deny
that the Armenian genocide took place. It simply says that to state
publicly that a genocide did not take place should not be considered
a punishable act.

If wisdom prevails, both Turkey and Armenia may use this ECtHR
verdict to overcome their reciprocal prejudices and put an end to
their centennial conflict.

http://www.todayszam...n-genocide.html

 



#19 Yervant1

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 10:56 AM

ARAM I: ARMENIANS REJECT THE RECENT ECHR DECISION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL

13:49 10.02.2014

Aram I, Armenian Genocide, European Court of Human Rights

"Armenians reject the recent decision of the European Court of Human
Rights (ECHR) on the denial of the Armenian Genocide," stated His
Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

On Friday 7 February 2014, His Holiness Aram I met with the Swiss
Ambassador to Lebanon Her Excellency Ruth Flint. During the meeting,
the Catholicos expressed his indignation at the decision of the
ECHR on the Perincek case of December 2013. His Holiness stated that
this ruling not only questions the truth of the Armenian Genocide;
it also sets a precedent for other genocides. He then expressed his
solidarity with the Swiss Authorities for any measures they might
take to help overturn the decision.

Ambassador Flint informed the Catholicos that Swiss embassies all
over the world were receiving letters protesting the ECHR decision.

On this same issue, His Holiness Aram I also contacted the Federation
of Swiss Protestant Churches in Bern, who informed him that they were
addressing the issue to the Federal Minister of Justice, Simonetta
Sammaruga, in writing.

http://www.armradio....enocide-denial/



#20 Yervant1

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Posted 20 February 2014 - 10:23 AM

ARMENIAN CHURCH OPPOSES RECENT ECHR RULING ON GENOCIDE DENIAL CASE

13:11 19.02.2014

Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, has sent his written concerns regarding the unacceptable
ruling issued on December 17, 2013, by the European Court of Human
Rights (ECHR) on the lawsuit of Dogu Perincek v. Switzerland.

Perincek, a Turkish political activist, was convicted under
Switzerland's hate speech law for publicly challenging the legal
characterization of the Armenian genocide, calling it "an international
lie" and had lost all appeals in Switzerland, eventually appealing
to the ECHR.

His Holiness has dispatched a letter to Mr. Dider Bulkharter, President
of the Swiss Confederation, expressing rejection of the decision, on
behalf of the Armenian Church and all Armenians dispersed throughout
the world, in response to the shocking ruling by the ECHR.

His Holiness conveyed that the ruling was a threat against establishing
justice in the case of genocide crimes, and creating peace and mutual
respect among nations. Supporting universal rejection on this matter,
the Catholicos of All Armenians has addressed and exhorted the Swiss
Government, particularly the Ministry of Justice, to make an appeal
against this case. His Holiness Karekin II has urged all the people
and nations of good will to express their positions regarding this
case against Genocide denial for eradicating discrimination and
intolerance and preventing crimes against humanity.

The Catholicos of All Armenians has also sent an official letter to
Rev. Dr. Olve Fyske Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council
of Churches, detailing the facts and legal analysis of the case,
and encouraging the member Churches to raise their voices against
this unfortunate decision, lending their support in encouraging
Switzerland to appeal this decision. His Holiness additionally sent
a letter to Bishop Markus Buchel, President of the Conference of
Bishops of Switzerland.

http://www.armradio....de-denial-case/
 






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