Inside Story

Should denying the ‘Armenian Genocide’ be a crime?

European Court rules in favour of Turkish politician in case that tests limits on free speech.

The European Court of Human Rights has upheld its verdict over the case of Turkish politician Dogu Perincek, who said “the Armenian Genocide was a great international lie”.

In 2007, Switzerland convicted Perincek of “racial discrimination” for his comments.

But the European Court has now ruled that Switzerland violated Perincek’s right to freedom of speech and that it was not necessary to subject him to a “criminal penalty in order to protect the rights of the Armenian community”.

So, does the decision rightfully uphold Europe’s commitment to free speech? Or overshadow Armenian grievances?

And who decides what constitutes a genocide?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan

Guests:

Geoffrey Robertson – a human rights lawyer who represented the Armenian government in this case.

Richard Falk – a professor emeritus of International Law at Princeton University.

Arieh Kovler – a freelance writer who wrote an article titled, The Limits to Freedom of Expression.