Azerbaijani top official: "Armenian genocide" law restricts freedom of speech

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.25 / Trend A.Taghiyeva / A law criminalizing denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" adopted by the French Senate restricts freedom of speech and human rights, and is a black spot in the modern history of France, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social and Political Department Chief Ali Hasanov said in an interview with the Turkish Anadolu news agency. After an eight-hour debate, the French Senate adopted the bill. Some 127 senators voted in favour, while 86 senators voted against on Jan.23. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is preparing new sanctions against France. The lower house of the French parliament adopted a bill criminalising the denial of the so-called "genocide" on Dec.22. Some 45 out of 577 French MPs voted with 38 voting for and seven against the adoption of the bill. The bill demands a year's imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euro for denying the so-called "genocide." In response to the decision, Turkey announced that it has frozen all diplomatic relations with France. MPs from the French president's Union for Popular Movement (UMP) party, which has the parliamentary majority, proposed the bill aimed at criminalizing the denial of the so-called "genocide" to the legislative committee of the National Assembly in early December. Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the Turkey - Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the "Armenian Genocide" by the parliaments of several countries. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az