In France denial of Armenian Genocide is persecuted by law.

“Mustafa Dogan, a 13-year-old Turk, was suspended from a school in Nancy after insisting that there was no Armenian Genocide,” Today's Zaman e-source informs Nov. 18.

The article reads, “France has been determined to push Turkey to recognize the Genocide. The French Parliament recognized the so-called Armenian genocide in 2001, which resulted in short-lived tension between France and Turkey. In 2006 the French National Assembly adopted a bill proposing a punishment for anyone who denies the Armenian genocide.

Dogan’s history teacher asked a question about the events of 1915 and the ‘Armenian Genocide’ in a written exam. Having previously argued with the teacher over the issue, the Turkish student became angry and wrote, ‘Even if it did happen, they deserved it.’

Mehmet Dogan accuses the school principal of racism. ‘I wish he hadn’t written ‘Even if [the genocide] did happen, they deserved it.’ This made them angry,’ he said.”

Today’s Zaman contacted the principal of the Jacques Marquette secondary school, Francis Vignola and asked to comment on the case. “Vignola said he supported the sanctions placed on Mustafa Dogan,” the source concludes.