The Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) supports the bill penalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and urges the Speaker of the Russian State Duma and the leaders of the four Duma factions to adopt the document, RIA Novosti reports.
"The adoption of such a law in Russia will create a serious mechanism for the fight against distortion of historical facts, misinformation in the media, bribery of journalists, bloggers, "experts" and state workers. It will also prevent the misleading of the Russian citizens, dishonoring of the victims' memory, and will create a real basis for preventing recurrence of similar crimes by the Turkish Government," UAR President Ara Abrahamyan says.
He also thanks Russia for a consistent and unbiased stand on condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.
To recall, a group of Russian lawmakers, including the leader of A Just Russia party (Spravedlivaya Rossiya) faction Sergei Mironov, have submitted the relevant bill to the State Duma. The proposal is to punish the denial of the Armenian Genocide in Western Armenia and in Ottoman Turkey, as well as the approval of that crime by a fine of up to 300,000 rubles or imprisonment for up to three years. If the fact of the Genocide is denied through the media, the bill suggests raising the fine to 500,000 rubles and increasing the period of imprisonment to five years for the denial.
This move by the Russian lawmakers was made on November 25, a day after the Turkish Air Force shot down a Russian Su-24 jet near the Syrian-Turkish border.
To note, the Russian Parliament adopted two resolutions (in 1995 and in 2015) on recognition of the Armenian Genocide.