ECHR Again Supports Right to Deny So-Called �Armenian Genocide�

Baku / 30.11.17 / Turan: The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Mercan and others v. Switzerland issued on November 28 a decision similar to the verdict in the case of Dogu Perincek v. Switzerland (No. 27510/08), that is, supported the "right to freedom of speech", in this case, to deny the so-called "Armenian genocide".

The leader of the Turkish Workers Party, Dogu Perincek, in 2005 in Switzerland during various conferences publicly declared the insolvency of the allegations that in 1915, The Ottoman Turkey carried out the "Armenian genocide", calling it "an international lie". In this connection, the Switzerland-Armenia Association filed a lawsuit in Switzerland in July 2005, demanding a criminal case against Perincek.

The court in Lausanne on March 9, 2007 recognized Perincek guilty of racial discrimination. On June 10, 2008 Perincek appealed to the ECHR. On October 15, 2016 the ECHR in Strasbourg ruled that the Swiss government "violated the right to freedom of speech" of Perincek. It was noted that the court's decision was final.

The Swiss Federal Court in 2010 upheld the decision of the lower court of 2008, which found guilty three Turks, Ali Mercan, Hasan Kemal and Edhem Kayali, of racial discrimination and denial of the "Armenian genocide" and ordered the payment of fines of 4,500 and 3,600 francs. In this regard, the three men filed a lawsuit with the ECHR (Mercan and others v. Switzerland).

The verdict of the European Court in this case was made public on November 28, 2017 and once again supported the "right to freedom of speech". In addition, the ECHR ruled that the Swiss government has to pay compensation to the plaintiffs in the amount of EUR 4,988 plus costs, as well as EUR 25,156 plus legal costs, the Armenian media reported. -02D-