The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun party has released a statement expressing its concerns that a bill criminalizing genocide denial in France has not been signed into law, more than a week after it passed the senate.

“French President Sarkozy could have signed, and turned into a law, the bill that criminalizes the denial of genocides [including the Armenian Genocide], but he preferred to wait until the statutory deadline, and this enabled for the bill’s opponents to get active and appeal to the Constitutional Council,” says the statement put out by the party’s Political Affairs and Armenian Cause Office.

“The Constitutional Council could adopt one of the three possible decisions:

1) The bill is consistent with the Constitution. In this case, it will become a law once the Republic’s President signs it.

2) The bill is partly inconsistent with the Constitution. In this case, the bill will be returned to the National Assembly, to amend it and make it consistent with the Constitution. This option could cause problems, since the National Assembly will go on vacation, in one month, to prepare for the presidential elections.

3) The bill is wholly unconstitutional. In this case, the bill will no longer be discussed and it will not become a law, unless the Republic’s President requests that the matter enter the National Assembly yet again.

“Starting from today until for one month, until the Constitutional Council reaches a decision, President Sarkozy cannot sign the law.”