Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 30 / Trend M. Aliyev /
The Azerbaijani parliament accepted an appeal to the French Senate on the so-called "Armenian genocide" today.
An Azerbaijani MP read out the appeal. Azerbaijan is extremely concerned about the decision taken by the French Parliament.
"We urge you to carefully consider these old and not fully clarified historical events," the MP said. "Of course, if this law is adopted, it would be contrary to freedom of speech and thought which has its principal place among human rights and freedoms which are the foundation of a democratic system."
The appeal stressed that Armenian armed forces killed hundreds of civilians in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly on February 26, 1992 just because they were Azerbaijanis. "Taking all this into account, the attempts of a one-sided assessment of historical events can lead to disrespect for the historical realities," the MP said.
According to the appeal, the adoption of this law will put France's objectivity as the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing country, engaged in a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in question.
"So, Azerbaijani MPs call on their colleagues in the French Senate to be careful and sensitive when discussing this issue," the MP went on. The appeal was made in parliament under a vote.
The French Parliament adopted a bill criminalising the denial of a fictitious "Armenian genocide" last week.
Some 45 out of 577 French MPs participated in the voting, while 38 voted for and seven voted against the adoption of the bill.
The bill demands about a year's imprisonment and a fine worth 45,000 euros for denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide".
MPs from the French President's "Union for Popular Movement" (UMP) party which has the parliamentary majority, proposed the bill which aims at criminalising denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" to the legislative committee of the National Assembly in early December.
Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the Turkey - Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the "Armenian Genocide" by the parliaments of several countries.