21 08 2007 - Profanation of the Armenian Memorial of Lyon

Aug 21, 2007
France: Profanation of the Armenian Memorial of Lyon

For the third time since its inauguration on April 24, 2006, the Memorial of the Armenian Genocide of Lyon was profaned by graffiti, probably of Turkish origin.

Last week, the association of the Memorial of Lyon (MLGA), under in the chair of Jules Mardirossian, noted the degradation of an stele, on a total of 36, posting the inscriptions of the name of cities of the South of France (Saint-Raphael, Perrache...), signed "Turke, political refugees".

Following this intolerable stain of the Armenian memory, a complaint was deposited to the Police station of Lyon and Co-ordination Council of Armenian Organisation of France requires that the profaners required and be condemned for this odious crime. Also, the CCAF calls the French Senate has to confirm as of the next parliamentary session, the text voted on October 12, 2006 by the French National Assembly, aiming at sanctioning the acts and matter negationnists.

At the time of the preceding profanation of the Memorial of Lyon (April 2006), Nicolas Sarkozy, Minister of Interior, firmly had condemned the authors and had assured "of his whole solidarity to the
Armenian community".

Jean Eckian / Paris
Independent correspondant

Jean Eckian / Paris