English Forum Switzerland - View Single Post - Turkish politician fined over genocide denial

Blonaybear · #31 23.06.2007, 15:27

	Quote:	Pashosh
	One of the sites quotes calls to protest against "Sylovestore Stallone" - I dare say we will hear more about it soon. Swiss law doesn't prohibit academic research - saying "I can't present any counter facts because it's illegal" is a cop-out. I'm not Armenian, nor anti Turkish. The facts here speak for themselves - Armenian civilians were murdered on a massive scale, made to leave their homes without providing them any food and shelter (within the Ottoman empire, their "own" country) - thus causing the deaths of many more. Unfortunately - this wasn't the only genocide in the 20th century, but raising awareness helps pervent similar things now (see Darfur)

Let me clarify my position. I am not arguing whether these events were, or were not, genocide as I have not studied the subject enough to form an opinion. You obviously have formed an opinion and I fully respect your right to do so.

My problem is that the Swiss law does not allow a free discussion as, if anybody takes the view that it was not genocide, they could be arrested and convicted of being a racist.

Turkey has proposed that an international commission of historians should research the issue but, such a commission could obviously not meet here as freedom of expression is denied. Turkish historian Yusuf Halacoglu is being investigated by Swiss prosecutors for comments he made during a speech in Winterthur in 2004 and prosecutors said that they have not been able to interview him in person, but presumably they will do so if he returns.

You say that Swiss law doesn't prohibit academic research. Perhaps not, but it would clearly does prohibit publication of the research if it concluded that there was no genocide.

On the basis of ‘innocent until proved guilty’ suppose the Swiss law said: As the charge of genocide has not been tested and proven in the International Criminal Court it is an offence to refer to the events as genocide. How would you feel about that ?

My point is that discussion or research of the subject is not possible in Switzerland when one side are not allowed to express their opinions. Do you think this is reasonable ?