French Senate to Vote on Armenian Genocide Law this Month

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France's upper house of parliament will vote this month on a bill to outlaw denial of the Armenian genocide, a government official told Agence France Presse, despite a furious diplomatic spat with Turkey.

The French lower house approved the law last month, threatening anyone who denies that the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turk forces amounted to genocide with jail, drawing a threat of sanctions from Turkey.

Ankara froze political and military ties with France when the bill was passed by the National Assembly, and has threatened further measures if it continues through the Senate or is approved by President Nicolas Sarkozy.

In 1915 and 1916, during World War I many Armenians died in Ottoman Turkey. Armenia says 1.5 million were killed in a genocide. Turkey says around 500,000 died in fighting after Armenians sided with Russian invaders.

France recognized the killings as a genocide in 2001, but the new bill would punish anyone who denies this with a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros.

Modern Turkey is still very sensitive about the issue, and has accused France of attacking freedom of expression and free historical enquiry.

France is home to an estimated 500,000 citizens of Armenian descent, and Sarkozy's UMP party has been accused of backing the law in order to pander to a key electoral demographic group ahead of presidential and legislative elections.

It is backed by a cross-party majority of lawmakers but has not won universal support in the government, where some ministers fear it will hurt diplomatic and trade ties with a NATO ally and major economic partner.

Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has said publicly that the bill is "badly timed" and has been reported as describing it privately as "stupid.”

Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador to Paris, but officials say he may return shortly in order to lobby against the bill.

Comments 5
Default-user-icon + oua nabka + (Guest) 12 years

no difference between genocide be it jewish or armenian or kurd
what is fair for jews is fair for others

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 12 years

six mio jews genocide in 1943...but they won a country,
1.5 mio arminians were "genocided" in 1914/15... they still won a country...
do the palestinians need a genocide???????????

Missing allouchi 12 years

I am not and will not defend Turkey on this issue but France should also be held accountable and admit to the genocide of Algerians....all human lives are equal.

Default-user-icon mike (Guest) 12 years

Mustapha ... Won a country ? are you kidding me? WE LOST ALL OF WESTERN ARMENIA ANATOLIA Armenia of today is hardly 10% of historic Armenia Get a clue

Default-user-icon Serdal (Guest) 12 years

Turkey does not need the backstabbing arabs, nor its traitorous former citizens. To me, armenian, palestinian, syrian, iraqi, greek, aramean, assyrian, you are all traitors and destroyed your home countries.

and look now, you are being murdered by israel, ruled by the united states, dont have a home country.

this is the punishment to you from the almighty.