19 12 2007 - The Swiss Federal Court condemns a denier of the Armenian Genocide

At the end of a long fight, the Swiss-Armenian Association has learnt with great satisfaction of the Federal Court's ruling published today that the President of the Party of Turkish Workers, Dogu Perinçek, has been condemned as guilty of racial discrimination (article 261bis of the Penal code). Dogu Perinçek had repeatedly asserted in 2005 that the genocide of Armenians in 1915 - during which about 1.5 million Armenians were killed - is an "international lie". Dogu Perinçek has been definitively condemned with a conditional fine, a fine and has been ordered to pay all expenses related to the legal procedure. The Federal Court brings with this judgment, which constitutes precedence, a lot of clarity and consequently a world première regarding legal recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Perinçek had made appeal of its judgment on March 9, 2007.

Jean Eckian / Paris