ISTANBUL (Hurriyet)–Zurich’s Court of Appeals confirmed Tuesday the initial verdict of a Swiss district court that ruled three Swiss citizens of Turkish descent were guilty of denying the Armenian Genocide, the daily Vatan reported Wednesday.
The defendants, Ali Mercan, Hasan Kemahli and Ethem Kayali, had called the Armenian Genocide a lie at a meeting in 2007 in the Swiss district of Winterthur. Mercan is the foreign representative of the Turkey-based Workers Party, while Kemahli and Kayali are members of the Ataturkcu Dusunce Dernegi, a Turkey-based think tank.
In March 2007, Dogu Perinck, the leader of the Workers Party, was similarly found guilty by a Swiss district court of conscious violation of Swiss laws against genocide denial with a racist motivation and was fined 12,000 Swiss francs (17,000 Turkish Liras). The verdict was confirmed by the Vaud cantonal appeal court on June 19 of the same year, and by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland on Dec. 12, 2007.
“We knew the decision would come out like that,” said the lawyers of the defendants, according to the report by daily Vatan.
Meanwhile the Swiss government is mediating between Turkey and Armenia for a historical normalization of relations. Turkey, which officially denies it’s Genocide of the Armenians in 1915, severed ties with Armenia in the early 90s and has been blockading the Caucasus country since.
The two countries signed protocols last October to end the nearly two decade blockade. Yet the process has hit the rocks since the Armenian constitutional court’s ruling that the interpretation and application of the protocols should be in compliance with both the Armenian constitution and declaration of independence, which call for the international recognition of the Armenian genocide.
Though the court ruled the protocols to be legal, Turkey has reacted angrily to the decision, threatening to pull out of the rapprochement talks. It argues the ruling constitutes a prejudice in the workings of a historical commission outlined in the agreements. Ankara has made no secret of its intentions to use the historical commission to question the veracity of the Armenian Genocide.
That is why you cannot negotiate with the turk. The turk knows one thing; after commiting a Genocide, to cheat and lie until the end. Pay millions of dollars to US Congressmen to do the dirty work for them and continue the trend of the Genocide.
These so called civilized Turkish Swiss citizens goofed! The Turks will pretend to be European and hide and deny their Genocidal past. Turkey’s joining of the European Union will surely mean end of European Union.
Good, I hope they clean the EU’s urinals and toilets for a lifetime as punishment.
Hye, the Swiss involvement in the Protocols, in my book, sees Swiss leaning to the Turkish side of the page.
A Turkey – which has committed Genocides – yet even today, who has not yet emulated or joined with any of the civilized nations in any manner or pursuit – shall never be trusted, in any manner, shape or form.
Especially – ‘alliances’ – which the Turks themselves have certainly proven NOT to observe – at all!
Turks’ history with ‘alliances’ are almost ridiculous – were not that these dealings shall have been serious and with great honesty and intent between civilized nations of our world…
But with a Turkey these ‘alliances’ are used, over and over, as needed, as just another of the Turks’ PLOYS… The civilized world is serious – the Turks are as children, playing games! Hence, the Armenians watch as also the world watches, what’s next Turkey?
Manooshag
All I can say is this is simply supression of free speech and we all as human beings have a right to debate about issues and if someone goes to jail for criticising something, that is automatically supression of free speech. I am a supporter of lifting Article 301 by the way. Turkey needs to lift Article 301 and the EU needs to stop throwing people into jail just because they criticise the Armenian issue and the Holocaust issue, we are all entitled to free speech. Stories are not one-sided as you know. This is all I have to say.