29 05 2008 - SLOVAKIAN JUSTICE MINISTER: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CAN'T GO UNPUNISHED

ARKA - May 26, 2008
YEREVAN, May 26. /ARKA/. Armenian Genocide can't go unpunished, Slovakian Justice Minister and Deputy PM Stefan Harabin said at a press conference on Monday.

"Some people permit themselves to deny the fact of Armenian Genocide.

Freedom of speech is one of the most important human rights, but this freedom can't be unlimited. Some people make unacceptable statements against the genocide-stricken nation", he said.

Harabin said that the genocide-related has already put on Slovakian Parliament's floor. Under this bill, all those denying the fact of Armenian genocide will be prosecuted.

He said that the previous bill envisaging punishment for denying the fact of Holocaust was imperfect. The provision added to the bill will
improve it.

Armenian genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century. Turkey denies the fact of killing one and a half million Armenians during World War I.

The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries, particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the U.S. states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common
House of Canada, the Seym of Poland and Lower House of Italian parliament.


SLOVAKIA: THOSE WHO DECLINE GENOCIDE WILL BE IMPRISONED

Panorama.am
19:53 26/05/2008

Till the end of this year the Parliament of Slovakia will make correspondent legislative changes and reforms by defining imprisonment for those who decline Armenian Genocide, said the deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice of Slovakia Stephan Harrapin
in Yerevan. According to him in January-February 2009 the norm will be implemented.

S. Harrapin said that there is a law in Slovakia which defines a punishment for those who decline Holocaust.

The Parliament will make reforms by using the same point of punishment for the other genocides.

Note that according to the law declining of Armenian Genocide by a citizen of Slovakia and by anyone in the territory of Slovakia will define 5 years imprisonment. According to Harrapin even if the punishment is too strict every democratic country should treat the
question like that.

Remind: the fact of condemning Armenian Genocide was adopted by the Parliament of Slovakia in 2004.
V.V

ARKA