YEREVAN. – The bill criminalizing denial of genocide adopted by the Greek parliament is a result of moves by certain Armenian circles in Greece and Greek society, Giro Manoyan said.

Manoyan, the head of Hay Dayt office, stressed that relations between Greece and Azerbaijan are becoming closer.

Now when Dogu Pernicek's case is being studied by the European Court, adoption of such a bill can be welcomed.

“However, we must follow the developments at the European Court of Human Rights, as the bill adopted by Greece contains the same approach as similar law of Switzerland that was declared restriction of media freedom so far. The judgment will be appealed and discussed in January,” Manoyan said.

The parliament of Greece on Tuesday adopted law criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial, becoming the third parliament after Slovakia and Switzerland that introduced penalties against denial of genocides.

On 9 March 2007, Turkish national Doğu Perinçek was sentenced in Canton Vaud to both a financial penalty and a criminal fine under Art. 261bis CC for denying the Armenian Genocide. The Cantonal Court of Canton Vaud and the Federal Supreme Court both rejected appeals against the judgment. In its ruling of 17 December 2013, the competent chamber of the European Court of Human Rights determined that the Swiss courts' rulings violated the appellant's right to freedom of expression.