French Parliament Votes to Criminalize Denial of Armenian Genocide

The French National Assembly has passed a law criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, punishable by prison and fines. The law, supported by around fifty parliamentarians, targets any French citizen questioning the term 'genocide' for the 1915 mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. France had already recognized the genocide in 2001. Critics, including former justice minister Robert Badinter and historian Pierre Nora, argue that such 'memory laws' are unconstitutional and hinder historical research. The law is seen as a political move to secure votes from the Armenian community in upcoming presidential elections. The editorial by Jacques Henric in artpress criticizes the law for moral hypocrisy, pointing out Armenian ethnic cleansing in Azerbaijan and Armenian complicity with Iran, Russia, and China in supporting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. It also notes historical antisemitism among Christian Armenians compared to the liberal Ottoman Empire. The law, proposed by UMP politician Valérie Boyer, has drawn criticism from Turkish officials, with President Sarkozy advising Turkey to 'keep its cool.' The Socialist Party, which initiated the law, also supports it, marking a rare moment of cross-party consensus.