17 November 2004A Paris Court dismissed a case brought by the Comit+® de D+®fense de la Cause Arm+®nienne (CDCA) against the Paris Consul General of Turkey, Aydin Sezgin, for his rejection of the so-called Armenian genocide on the Consulate's official internet website. The court ruled that Sezgin cannot be impugned because of his diplomatic privilege. The court also decided that court expenses would be met by the CDCA.
Last July, the CDCA filed a complaint which stated, "The Turkish Consulate General of Paris broadcasts to the French public, on its official website, a denial of the so-called Armenian genocide." During the first court proceedings in October, the Paris Attorney General requested a "foreign plea", citing Sezgin's diplomatic privileges, which stem from Vienna Convention on diplomatic privileges.
The Attorney general announced that according to the rules of international law, the Turkish diplomat had a right to declare his official viewpoint, despite its apparent contradiction of French domestic law. For the first time, a Turkish diplomat was summoned to court because of the so-called genocide claims.
11.16.2004, Zaman
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