The Denial of The Armenian Genocide And The Laws

[Siamanto]

AZG Armenian Daily #115, 23/06/2005


Armenian Genocide

THOSE DENYING THE GENOCIDE TO FACE TRIAL

German-Armenian lawyer Stepan Tashchian submitted a petition to start a
legal action against Berlin's Turkish community. Tashchian said over the
phone that during the rally in central Berlin on June 19 (German public TV
counted 1.500 participants) the protesters carried insulting banners,
distributed leaflets urging not to distort history and chanted that what
happened to Armenians in 1915 was not a genocide as it was not organized by
the state, thus it cannot be defined as genocide. This very statement made
Tashchian turn to the police official supervising the rally. Allegedly the
trial will begin in 2-3 months. The 130th article of German Penal Code and
the 189th article of Civil Code administers punishment and fine for the
aforesaid actions, Stepan Tashchian said.

By Anahit Hovsepian in Germany

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg116738.html

[oneworld]

God save German. Because they need that.

[Siamanto]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL CASE HEARD IN PARIS

Pan Armenian News
30.06.2005 06:40

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A Paris court has started consideration of the suit
Hay Dat (Armenian issue) Commission instituted in May 2003 against
Quid encyclopedia and Robert Lafon Publishers that are indicted in
"propaganda of denial of the Armenian Genocide," reported the Yerkir
newspaper. Several French and Armenian organizations - the Council
of Armenian Organizations of France, Union of Jewish Students of
France - have cast their support to the Hay Dat Committee. The ruling
will be announced on July 6. The claim stems from an article in the
Encyclopedia "Turkey, some issues, Armenia: Turkey's stand over the
Armenian Issue" that denies the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in
1915. The plaintiff demands to correct the article containing denial
of the Genocide.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg117483.html

[Thai-Samurai]

How can you sue the Turkish community in Germany, that doesn't make any sense.

[TomServo]

Yikes, the Turkish laborers are getting angry.

[Otto]

see the western democracy... same thing (law against genocide) is undemocratic in Turkey while it is a (so called) democratic in EU... thats just great...

[Siamanto]

[Translated using SYSTRAN. Siamanto.]

Robert Lafffont Condemned For Wrong presentation of the Armenian genocide

Last news JUSTICE, Thursday July 7 2005-ARMENEWS-
The 17th room of the Court of Bankruptcy of Paris condemned condemned on January 6 the editions Robert Laffont and the company of the Quid Encyclopaedias for their "faulty " presentation of the Armenian genocide in Quid. This one will have to pay one euro symbolic system of damages to the plaintiffs: The CDCA, the CCAF, " Memory 2000 " and " I show ". It will have to also publish in three daily newspapers, three weekly magazines and on its Internet site an official statement declaring that the presentation of the historical event was considered to be "faulty".
It is in particular reproached Quid for having presented in the articles "Turkey" and "Arménie", of the underestimated assessments of the genocide by taking again historians negationnists and to have to juxtapose the positions Turkish and Armenian on the event by privileging the first and to resort in the negationnists terms such as " travels " instead of " deportation ". The court also denounced the thesis presented by Quid according to which the Armenians would have been massacred because of their collaboration with Russia during the First World War "This fault causes incontestably with the close relations and the heirs to this community, as with the groupings which have the aim of maintaining the memory of these events, a all the more sharp disorder and a mental pain as the memory and the historical attention hardly had just triumphed over decades from silence", said the court in its waited.
On the other hand the request to insert a text presented by the CDCA and the CCAF was rejected. The court did not order provisional execution with the judgement either, which leaves the possibility with condemned to suspend the execution of this decision by appealing.
Marc Knobel, president of association I Show was pleased with this decision "which is particularly right". "It is high time to always recognize everywhere and, in any place and constantly the sufferings endured by the Armenian people and to recognize this genocide. I Show will be intractable and will not tolèrera any negation of the Armenian genocide "declared Marc Knobel.
For Harout Mardirossian, president of the Committee of Defense of the Armenian Cause (CDCA)"It is a great victory for the memory of our grandparent. It was acquired in the union and dignity what makes it still more beautiful. With this judgement, France comes to send a clear message to Turkey for which cease its propaganda negationnist, whose QUID was made the relay. "
"I would like to thank all associations which joined on the initiative of the Committee of Defense of the Armenian Cause like all to our lawyers and particularly Maître Bernard Jouanneau." "It is now necessary to continue our action counters other negationnists and at the same time to equip France with a law condemning the negation of the Armenian genocide penally. They are our objectives and as for the lawsuit of the QUID, we are serene as for our victory which rests on justice and human dignity." the president concluded from the Committee of Defense of the Armenian Cause (CDCA).
It was born specified that I judgement relate to the editions of Quid which go from 2002 to 2004, the editions 2005 having already proceeded to a certain number of modifications.

http://www.armenews.com/New/index3.asp

Condamnation du Quid pour sa présentation du génocide arménien

Dernières nouvelles JUSTICE, jeudi 7 juillet 2005-ARMENEWS-
La 17ème chambre du tribunal de grande instance de Paris a condamné a condamné le 6 janvier les éditions Robert Laffont et la société des Encyclopédies Quid pour leur présentation " fautive " du génocide arménien dans le Quid. Celle-ci devront verser un euro symbolique de dommages et intérêts aux plaignants : Le CDCA, le CCAF, " Mémoire 2000 " et " J’accuse ". Elle devront également publier dans trois quotidiens, trois hebdomadaires et sur son site internet un communiqué déclarant que la présentation de l'événement historique a été jugée "fautive".
Il est notamment reproché au Quid d’avoir présenté dans les articles "Turquie" et "Arménie", des bilans sous-évalués du génocide en reprenant des historiens négationnistes et d’avoir juxtaposer les positions turque et arménienne sur l'événement en privilégiant la première et de recourir à des termes négationnistes tels que " voyage " au lieu de " déportation ". Le tribunal a également dénoncé la thèse présenté par le Quid selon laquelle les Arméniens auraient été massacrés en raison de leur collaboration avec la Russie pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. "Cette faute cause incontestablement aux proches et aux héritiers de cette communauté, ainsi qu'aux groupements qui ont pour objet de maintenir la mémoire de ces événements, un trouble et une douleur morale d'autant plus vifs que le souvenir et l'attention historique venaient à peine de triompher de décennies de silence", dit le tribunal dans ses attendus.
En revanche la demande d’insérer un texte présentée par le CDCA et le CCAF a été rejeté. Le tribunal n’a pas non plus ordonné d’exécution provisoire au jugement, ce qui laisse la possibilité aux condamnés de suspendre l’exécution de cette décision en faisant appel.
Marc Knobel, président de l’association J’Accuse s’est félicité de cette décision “qui est particulièrement juste”. “Il est grand temps de reconnaître partout et toujours, en tout lieu et à tout moment les souffrances endurées par le peuple arménien et reconnaître ce génocide. J’Accuse sera intraitable et ne tolèrera aucune négation du génocide arménien” a déclaré Marc Knobel.
Pour Harout Mardirossian, président du Comité de Défense de la Cause Arménienne (CDCA) “C’est une grande victoire pour la mémoire de nos grand-parents. Elle a été acquise dans l’union et la dignité ce qui la rend encore plus belle. Avec ce jugement, la France vient d’envoyer un message clair à la Turquie pour quelle cesse sa propagande négationniste, dont le QUID se faisait le relais."
“Je voudrais remercier toutes les associations qui se sont associées à l’initiative du Comité de Défense de la Cause Arménienne ainsi qu’à tous nos avocats et particulièrement à Maître Bernard Jouanneau.” “Il faut maintenant poursuivre notre action contre d’autres négationnistes et en même temps doter la France d’une loi condamnant pénalement la négation du génocide arménien. Ce sont nos objectifs et comme pour le procès du QUID, nous sommes sereins quant à notre victoire qui repose sur la justice et la dignité humaine." a conclu le président du Comité de Défense de la Cause Arménienne (CDCA).
Il est né précisé que je jugement concerne les éditions du Quid qui vont de 2002 à 2004, les éditions 2005 ayant déjà procédé à un certain nombre de modifications.

[Siamanto]

Paris court fines reference book editors for portrayal of Armenian
killings

.c The Associated Press


PARIS (AP) - A Paris court on Wednesday ordered the editors of a
French reference book to pay a small fine for an unbalanced portrayal
of the killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians during World War
I, which Armenians say was genocide.

The court said the Quid reference book favored Turkey's position and
only briefly described the Armenian point of view.

The court issued a fine of euro1 ($1.19) and ordered the publication
of its verdict in three daily newspapers, three weekly newspapers and
on the Quid internet site.

The committee for the defense of the Armenian cause filed a complaint
against the encyclopedia in 2003.

Defense lawyers for the reference book underlined its editorial
freedom and pointed out that the book mentions a 2001 French law that
recognizes the killings as genocide.

Armenians say some 1.5 million of their people were killed as the
Ottoman Empire forced them from eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923
in a deliberate campaign of genocide.

Turkey says the death count is inflated and insists that Armenians
were killed or displaced in the civil unrest during the collapse of
the Ottoman Empire.

The two countries do not have diplomatic relations because of the
dispute.




07/06/05 12:12 EDT

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg117887.html

[Siamanto]

Pan Armenian News

TURKEY TO CANCEL CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
CLAIMS


08.07.2005 03:16

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos
Haraszti, today praised the Turkish authorities for introducing important
changes to the new Penal Code. Relating to Article 305 on "offences against
fundamental national interests", the Representative noted with satisfaction
that two examples in the explanatory "Reasoning Document" - making it a
crime to demand the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus or to claim
that Armenians were exposed to genocide - have been removed. To note, he
revised Turkish Penal Code was finally approved by parliament on Wednesday,
29 June.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg118001.html

[Siamanto]

[Translated using SYSTRAN. Siamanto]

A Turkish politician continued for negationnism in Switzerland whereas the community celebrated the 82e birthday of the treaty of Lausanne
NEGATIONNISME, Monday July 25, 2005, Armenews the public ministry of Winterthour in Switzerland opened an investigation against Dogu Perincek, the chief of the Party of the workers Turkish, after this last denied the Armenian genocide Friday at the time of a press conference in Zurich, within the framework of the 82e birthday of the treaty of Lausanne.
Dogu Perincek presented the genocide like a " lie of the imperialists ". These remarks constitute an offence according to the Swiss law and the standard antiracism. Perincek was thus heard during more than two hours, Saturday, by the examining magistrate of Winterthour. Evaluations are also in hand to determine if the politician also violated the standard antiracist at the time of his Turkish speech with Winterthour.
A complaint for negationnist had already been deposited against him after a speech made in May.
Ankara considered to be unacceptable the interrogation of Dogu Perincek and " absolutely contrary to the principle of the freedom of thought ".
Switzerland-Arménie association also deposited a complaint against Perincek for negationnism. Association had in parallel tried, without success, to make prohibit the gathering which took place yesterday in Lausanne. It judged it négationniste. " the cantonal police force answered us that it did not return to him to decide to prohibit the demonstration because the political power had not decided for its cancellation ", explained Mr. Shahinian.
Nearly 2 000 Turks and 300 Kurds thus commemorated yesterday the 82e birthday of the treaty of Lausanne, which delimited the borders of modern Turkey in 1923. To avoid any confrontation, the Turkish and Kurdish communities expressed in distinct places. If the Turks celebrated the signature of the treaty, the Kurds wished for their part to mark their reserves with respect to this text. No overflow took place.

http://www.armenews.com/New/news.asp?id_news=8342

Un politicien turc poursuivi pour négationnisme en Suisse alors que la communauté célébrait le 82e anniversaire du traité de Lausanne
NEGATIONNISME, lundi 25 juillet 2005, Armenews Le ministère public de Winterthour en Suisse a ouvert une enquête contre Dogu Perincek, le chef du Parti des travailleurs turcs, après que ce dernier ait nié le génocide arménien vendredi lors d’une conférence de presse à Zurich, dans le cadre du 82e anniversaire du traité de Lausanne.
Dogu Perincek a présenté le génocide comme un « mensonge des impérialistes ». Ces propos constituent un délit selon la loi suisse et la norme antiracisme. Perincek a donc été entendu pendant plus de deux heures, samedi, par le juge d’instruction de Winterthour. Des évaluations sont également en cours pour déterminer si le politicien a également violé la norme antiraciste lors de son discours en turc à Winterthour.
Une plainte pour négationniste avait déjà été déposée contre lui après un discours prononcé en mai.
Ankara a jugé inacceptable l’interrogatoire de Dogu Perincek et « absolument contraire au principe de la liberté d’opinion ».
L’association Suisse-Arménie a également déposé une plainte contre Perincek pour négationnisme. L’association avait parallèlement tenté, sans succès, de faire interdire le rassemblement qui a eu lieu hier à Lausanne. Elle le jugeait négationniste. « La police cantonale nous a répondu qu’il ne lui revenait pas de décider d’interdire la manifestation car le pouvoir politique ne s’était pas prononcé pour son annulation », a expliqué M. Shahinian.
Près de 2 000 Turcs et 300 Kurdes ont donc commémoré hier le 82e anniversaire du traité de Lausanne, qui a délimité les frontières de la Turquie moderne en 1923. Pour éviter tout affrontement, les communautés turques et kurdes ont manifesté dans des lieux distincts. Si les Turcs ont célébré la signature du traité, les Kurdes souhaitaient pour leur part marquer leurs réserves vis-à-vis de ce texte. Aucun débordement n’a eu lieu.