French MPs pass bill on Armenian ‘genocide’ denial
The lower house of France’s parliament, the National Assembly, has passed a bill criminalizing denial of the alleged Ottoman-era genocide of Armenians in Turkey.
The draft law was approved in the French National Assembly by a 106-19 vote. The bill makes it a crime to deny that the "genocide" occurred and its violators may face a jail sentence of up to one year and pay a 45,000 euro fine.
The bill now goes to the Senate, the parliament’s upper chamber, and then will be sent back to the French National Assembly. If endorsed again, it will be sent to the French president for signing. It is now up to the French government when the bill will be sent to the Senate.
The French legislature recognized the "genocide" in January 2001.
Armenians residing in Turkey’s Anatolia region staged riots during World War I and fought against the Ottoman army in support of Russia. In an effort to end stand-off, the Ottoman government decided in 1915 to resettle the Armenians to other parts of the country. Armenians say 1.5 million of their ancestors were killed in the process, a claim dismissed by Turkey, and have been trying to muster international support for the recognition of the alleged genocide worldwide.
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