Nicolas Sarkozy feels disappointment and sorrow

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy, measuring the disappointment and sorrow of all who had welcomed with gratitude and hope the passage of this legislation designed to protect against denial which is not only an insult to the memory of the victims anddignity of their descendants, but also a threat against our national community, has asked to the government to prepare a new text, taking into account the decision of the Constitutional Council”, Jean Eckian, Armenian-French journalist informed about this Times.am from Paris.

Remind that on February 28, the Constitutional Court of France has repealed the law on genocides denial. 

Note, on January 23 the French Senate passed a bill making it a crime to publicly deny any genocide recognized byFrance, including Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. 

Denying the Jewish Holocaust in France is already a crime punishable by a year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros. Legislators suggested the same punishment for denying the Armenian genocide. 

The vote in favor of the bill was greeted with indignation by the Turkish government, which denies the Armenian genocide, moreover, public affirmation of the Armenian genocide is treated as a crime inTurkey, and is considered an insult to national identity. 

Over 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman and Kemalist governments of Turkey during 1915-23. 

About 30 nations, including France, that recognized the fact of genocide, as has the European Union.Switzerland and Sloveniatreat denial of the genocide as a crime.