Azerbaijani FM condemns adoption of "Armenian genocide" bill by France

Azerbaijan`s Foreign Affairs Ministry made a statement, strongly condemning the French National Assembly`s approval of the bill penalizing genocide denial, the ministry`s press-service said.

Azerbaijan expressed its surprise as this step contradicts freedom of speech and expression as basic principles of democracy in Europe, and runs counter to France`s obligations towards respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. Azerbaijan expresses its deep regret that the French National Assembly enacted this bill but turned a blind eye to the fact that hundreds of thousand of Azerbaijanis were subjected to ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories, became internally displaced people in their lands and their rights were grossly violated".
 

/AzerTAc/

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22.12.11
17:16

Some European MPs become a tool in the hands of certain circles, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev said. He commented on the adoption of the bill about the punishment for the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" in France today.
 
"If Paris has such a principled approach to certain issues, then now, France, as the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair country, should also revise the Khojaly genocide,” he said.

The French Parliament approved a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, and rendered it punishable with a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($58,000).

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of 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 some countries.

The Armenian armed forces attacked the civilian population of Khojaly, which is located in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on Feb.26. As a result of their actions, which are internationally recognized as the genocide, hundreds of people were killed because of their ethnicity.


/Trend/