French Govt. to Introduce Bill Criminalizing Genocide Denial
French Govt. to Introduce Bill Criminalizing Genocide Denial –
The French Parliament passed a bill criminalizing Genocide denial in 2011 –
The government of France is preparing to introduce a bill that would criminalize the denial of the Armenian Genocide per a commitment made by French President Francois Hollande during his campaign, reported the Le Monde newspaper on Wednesday.
For diplomatic reasons, the newspaper reported, there will not be an official announcement before a Hollande’s scheduled visit to Turkey at the end of January.
Le Monde reported that an announcement may be made in May, 2014 when Hollande is scheduled to visit Armenia. The French president confirmed his plans to travel to Armenia at a meeting Monday with representatives of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF) at the Elysee Palace.
The newspaper said that the passage such a resolution may be timed to correspond with the Genocide centennial in 2015.
A law criminalizing the denial of the genocides, including the Armenian Genocide, was passed by both houses of the French Parliament in 2011. However, France’s high court deemed it unconstitutional.
