Perincek verdict: Expectations in Armenia cautious ahead of key date

The European Court of Human Rights is set to publish its final ruling in the case Perincek v Switzerland at 11: 45am on October 15.

While the verdict, issued on Friday, still remains undisclosed, expectations seem to vary vastly in the political circles of Armenia and the Diaspora.

Speaking to Tert.am, Gaspar Karpaetyan, the director of the Armenian National Committee of Europe, said he remains very unclear about the outcome. “I cannot say anything, as an expectation seems very different from what the court’s ruling may be,” he said.

Ara Torosyan, the president of the Committee’s Coordinating Council, tried to sound more positive. “I do want to be optimistic,” he told our correspondent, adding that they are not yet planning any public event. 

According to Levon Hovsepyen, a Yerevan-based Turkologist, the ruling will in most likelihood satisfy both the Turkish and Armenian sides.  “Without prejudice to Turkey or any insult to Armenia,” he said, commenting on his expectations.

The Strasburg court opened the trial on January 28. Dogu Perincek was convicted by a Swiss court for a public denial of the Armenian Genocide, a move which amounts to a criminal offense under Switzerland's criminal legislation. Turkey is a respondent in the case filed by Switzerland and France; Armenia is involved as a third party in the proceeding.  

In his arguments, Perincek insisted that the “1915 events” fall within the logic of “genocide”, citing scientific records and a heavy package of documents (weighing 90kg) submitted to the court.

President of the Switzerland-Armenia Association (a key diaspora institution responsible for the Armenian Cause protection) Sargis Shahinyan also sounded hesitant. “I cannot make any prediction or say anything final, relying on rumors,” he said.

A lawyer from the Association will attend the decisive hearing on Thursday. The organization is later planning a news conference. “Because we are in Switzerland, and everything practically began in Switzerland, we find it more appropriate to hold the news conference covering any outcome of the ruling right here in Bern,” Shahinyan said. “It will take 10 minutes to issue the ruling, which will later be posted on the [ECHR] website.”

Shahinyan said she doesn’t expect Amal Alamuddin-Clooney, the international lawyer who represented Armenia’s interests in the trial, to be present at the hearing.

Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan, who is the Armenian Government’s representative to the ECHR, will attend the hearing together with Arman Tatoyan, a deputy, sources from the Prosecutor General’s Office told Tert.am.

Perincek has already expressed his intention to be present in court.