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 Armenian genocide claims, daily Vatan reported yesterday.
The defendants, Ali Mercan, Hasan Kemahlı and Ethem Kayalı, had denounced Armenians’ claims of genocide as lies at a meeting in 2007 in the Swiss district of Winterthur. Mercan is the foreign representative of the Turkey-based Workers Party, while Kemahlı and Kayalı are members of the Atatürkçü Düşünce Derneği, a Turkey-based think tank.
In March 2007, Doğu Perinçek, 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 reconciliation of ties. The two countries signed protocols last October to normalize their relations. The protocols foresee the formation of a committee of historians to discuss “historic issues.” 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 Armenian genocide claims. Turkey reacted to the decision saying it constitutes a prejudice in the workings of the committee of historians.
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