Argentine lawmaker submits bill to criminalize Genocide denial

PanARMENIAN.Net - Deputy Nilda Garre submitted a bill to criminalize denialism in Argentina this week, a project that would include the Armenian Genocide denial, Garre confirmed in an interview with Prensa Armenia.

The project plans to include the criminalization in the Criminal Code, to be applied to anyone who would "publicly deny, minimize, justify and/or approve any form of genocide or crimes against humanity."

The proposal claims to be compatible with freedom of expression "when justified in protecting the rights of victims, in maintaining public order or national security, or to prohibit the apology of hatred and violence."

Garre is a Deputy of the Front for Victory party. She was Minister of Defense during the term of late President Nestor Kirchner and was later appointed Minister of Security under President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Garre is currently the Argentine Representative for the Organization of American States.

"The National Congress passed Law 26,199 in 2006 recognizing the genocide of which the Armenian people were victims. Consequently, the Genocide is included in the project we propose," said Garre in an interview with Prensa Armenia.

When asked about the recent visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Argentina, she said: "I don't know how Turkey could react. What I do know is that the Argentine Republic is a sovereign nation and the National Congress is the representation of one of its powers."