Swiss court convicts Turkish politician for Armenian genocide denial
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- A prominent Turkish politician was convicted Friday of breaching Swiss anti-racism laws by saying that the early 20th-century killing of Armenians could not be described as genocide. The Turkish foreign ministry reacted swiftly to the decision, saying in a statement that it was saddened by the Swiss court's ruling to punish Dogu Perincek, leader of the Turkish Workers' Party, and to ignore "his freedom of expression."
Perincek was ordered to pay a fine of $2,450 and was given a suspended penalty of $7,360.
Perincek was charged with breaking Swiss law by denying during a visit to Switzerland in 2005 that the World War I-era killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians amounted to genocide. He has since repeated his claim, including at his trial earlier this week.
Read entire article at AP
Perincek was ordered to pay a fine of $2,450 and was given a suspended penalty of $7,360.
Perincek was charged with breaking Swiss law by denying during a visit to Switzerland in 2005 that the World War I-era killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians amounted to genocide. He has since repeated his claim, including at his trial earlier this week.