European Court of Human Rights starts appeal hearing on Perincek case: Armenians and Turks staging protests outside ECHR building
On January 28, the European Court of Human Rights is scheduled to hear the appeal hearing of a controversial case involving Dogu Perincek, chairman of the nationalist Workers’ Party. Dogu Perincek was found guilty by a Swiss court in 2008 of denying, during a visit to Switzerland, that the genocide ever took place. Mr Perincek called the genocide "an international lie" and was fined by the court in Switzerland. He appealed to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which ruled in Dec 2013 that Switzerland had violated his right to free expression. Switzerland appealed the ruling of the court. And now the appeal is being challenged by Armenia, with the case to be heard by the Strasbourg court’s 17-member Grand Chamber. The first hearing has been scheduled for Jan 28. Amal Clooney, the wife of prominent actor and human rights activist George Clooney, is one of the attorneys representing Armenia at the first hearing scheduled for Jan 28. Mrs Clooney will work alongside with Geoffrey Robertson, QC. Armenians and Turks are now staging separate protests outside the ECHR building in Strasbourg where the hearing is underway. The situation is tense, witness write on their Facebook accounts. Police officers are controlling the situation in the vicinity of the building.
