French vote recognition of genocide denial as a crime, says ANC Australia, AHC and AUA

SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia), Australian Hellenic Council (AHC) and the Assyrian Universal Alliance – Australia (AUA) have welcomed the passage of a bill criminalising the denial of the Armenian Genocide through the French National Assembly, and urged the Senate to follow suit.

The French bill requires a fine of 45,000 euros, or about US$58,700, and a year in jail for "those who have praised, denied or roughly and publicly downplayed genocidal crimes, crimes against humanity and war crimes."

On occasion of the passing of this French bill, ANC Australia, the AHC and the AUA have issued a statement recommitting to ensure that Australia’s own federal and provincial parliamentary representatives also take a moral stance on this fundamental issue of humanity and formally acknowledge the historical reality of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Genocides.

ANC Australia Executive Director Varant Meguerditchian said: "This bill is the latest development in the progress toward universal condemnation of the Armenian Genocide and a just resolution of such crime against humanity."

"By adopting this bill, France has chosen to place its moral obligations to oppose the denial of genocide above political expediency."

AHC (NSW) Coordinator George Vellis and AUA Australia Regional Secretary Hermiz Shahen echoed these sentiments. Both agreed that denial of any genocide was unacceptable and that criminalising it did not constitute a curb on freedom of speech.

Dr Panayiotis Diamadis, lecturer in Genocide Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney, stated that denial of genocide constituted the final phase of the genocidal process.

He said: "Denial is the genocide of memory."

"This bill stands in stark contrast to Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code which makesaffirming the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Genocides a crime on the grounds that it is aninsult to Turkishness."

South Australia recognised the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Genocides in 2009, while New South Wales recognised the Armenian Genocide in 1997. Since then, several federal Members of the House of Representatives and Senate have added their voice to growing calls for formal Australian recognition of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Genocides.