France To Speed Up Vote On Armenian Genocide Bill
By RFE RL
(RFE/RL) — French media reports say France’s upper house of parliament will vote this month on a bill to criminalize the denial of an Armenian genocide, at the risk of incurring further sanctions from Turkey.
The lower house, the National Assembly, adopted the bill last month, prompting Turkey to recall its ambassador and suspend contacts and military cooperation with France.
If the bill passes the Senate, as expected, people who deny that the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I constituted genocide will face a one-year jail term and a fine of up to 45,000 euros ($58,000).
Armenia says up to 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman Turks in 1915.
Turkey claims there was heavy loss of life on both sides, and rejects the description of genocide.
Turkey has threatened a new round of retaliatory measures if the Senate passes the bill.
