01.11.2022
Professor Thomas Hochmann of the University of Nanterre, Paris, delivered a lecture titled
“Genocide denial in French law” in the AGMI conference hall on November 1st.
Edita Gzoyan, AGMI Deputy Director for Scientific Works, presented Prof. Thomas Hochmann’s activities to the attendees.
During his lecture, Professor Hochmann referred to the adoption of laws by the French National Assembly on the criminalisation of the denial of the Armenian Genocide enacted in various years. According to him, one group of specialists believes that the denial of genocides contradicts the right to freedom of speech, while the other believes that, in this case, restricting freedom of speech prevents the rooting-out of racist sentiments and hate speech.
He mentioned that France recognised the Armenian Genocide by law in 2001 and its denial was criminalised by the laws promulgated in 2012 and 2017.
Prof. Hochmann also referred to the unconstitutional recognition of the law criminalising the denial of the Armenian Genocide by the French Constitutional Council with its reasons.
