Now since the situation in Xinjiang has been [recognised](https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220120-french-lawmakers-officially-recognise-china-s-treatment-of-uyghurs-as-genocide) as a genocide, does anyone know if it’s also gonna be illegal to deny it in France. Holocaust denial is illegal in France, that much I know, but does it apply to other similar crimes recognised as a genocide.

A difficult and painful subject, I know but I’d like to know if this is more of a symbolic declaration. And in any case I hope more European countries would take similar steps to recognise it as a genocide.

7 comments

  2. AFAIK it’s not forbidden (not yet, at least). The Gayssot Act (which forbids Holocaust denial) doesn’t explicitely forbids the denial of other genocides. To make it illegal, the Assemblée would have to vote a specific law.

  5. I think it’s mostly symbolic for now. Holocaust denial is a specific crime in France, it’s not genocide denial and I don’t think it can apply in this situation: [https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Négation_du_génocide_arménien#Vote_de_2016](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Négation_du_génocide_arménien#Vote_de_2016)

    >un amendement au projet de loi égalité et citoyenneté sanctionnant d’un an d’emprisonnement et de 45 000 euros d’amende la négation ou la banalisation d’un crime contre l’humanité. il ne s’applique qu’aux crimes ayant donné lieu à une condamnation prononcée par une juridiction française ou internationale

    (translation: we can do it for any genocide only if they were sentenced by a french or international court for crime against humanity)

  7. They tried two times to pass a law making genocide denial, but it was shot down as unconstitutional. So it may be purely symbolic, although i might imagine it playing a role in eventual asylum seeking.

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