Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • +44 (0)20 7454 5110
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
Return to PR Newswire homepage
  • News
  • Products
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All Public Company News
      • All Multimedia News
      • View All News Releases

      • Regulatory News

      • D/A/CH Regulatory News
      • UK Regulatory News
      • View All Regulatory News

  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads & Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking & Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film & Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers & Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalisation
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls & Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil & Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defence
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking & Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers & Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines & Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics & Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture & Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewellery
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film & Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks & Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels & Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Animal Welfare
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Economic News, Trends & Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • Labour & Union
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Public Safety
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Overview
  • Distribution
  • Paid Placement
  • Multichannel Amplification
  • Disclosure Services
  • SocialBoost
  • Rooms
    • MediaRoom
    • ESG Rooms
  • AI Tools
  • General Enquiries
  • Media Enquiries
  • Partnerships
  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PR Newswire UK provides press release distribution, targeting, monitoring, and marketing services
  • Send a Release
    • Phone

    • +44 (0)20 7454 5110 from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT

    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us

      +44 (0)20 7454 5110
      from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT

  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • News in Focus
    • Browse News Releases
    • Regulatory News
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
    • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Overview
  • Distribution
  • Paid Placement
  • Multichannel Amplification
  • Disclosure Services
  • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • AI Tools
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • General Enquiries
  • Media Enquiries
  • Partnerships
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists

Farewell to Neutrality and Human Rights Protection?


News provided by

Switzerland-Armenia Association

25 Feb, 2014, 10:17 GMT

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

BERN, February 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

   - Racial Discrimination: Switzerland's Passiveness Before ECHR Ruling?

   - Indication: The "Factsheet national and international positions in favor of a revision of the ECHR ruling" can be downloaded free of charge under:

  http://www.presseportal.ch/de/pm/100001660/?langid=2 -

   The ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) of 17th December 2013 Perincek c. Suisse (no. 27510/08) has serious procedural and substantive shortcomings. Switzerland still has the chance to appeal a final revision at the Great Chamber of the ECHR. The deadline for this appeal is 17th March 2014.

   The Strasburg ruling is not just unacceptable for Swiss citizens of Armenian origin, but also for the Swiss justice system which has condemned twice at the highest level the denial of the genocide of the Armenian people.

   The Switzerland-Armenia Association (SAA) requested a legal opinion from renowned international public lawyers as well as Swiss penal code experts. This document was submitted to the Federal Council and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) and the Swiss representative at the ECHR with the urgent request to consider thoroughly an appeal for a revision of the ruling.

   A refusal to appeal the ECHR ruling would mean that Switzerland

   - bids farewell to the basic principles of the protection of human rights, primarily however human dignity;

   - back steps from her international commitments in combating racism (cf Switzerland's report before the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, CERD);

   - proactively favors a weakening of her own law;

   - takes clearly sides, violating thus massively neutrality principles. Switzerland's mediation role in the solution of the conflict between Armenia and Turkey on the one hand, and between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the other - the latter elevated to a central task in the annual program of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship by President Didier Burkhalter-would lose entirely its credibility.

   In addition, a refusal would also mean that Switzerland essentially ignores the numerous calls of Swiss and international NGOs for a revision appeal at the Great Chamber of the ECHR, including positions of recognized international experts in genocide research and in human rights. The latter emphasize the factual foundation of the genocide on the Armenian people and speak against the establishment of a hierarchy of genocides as de facto carried out by the ECHR ruling. In the case of a refusal, Switzerland would further ignore the substantively argued position of the largest and oldest Turkish human rights organization (Human Rights Association in Turkey, IHD), as published yesterday. This position describes the racial impact of the ECHR ruling of 17th December 2013 and considers a revision of this ruling with a view towards the situation of national minorities in Turkey as indispensable. IHD emphasizes amongst others that the ECHR has contradicted, with its ruling, previous decisions of the European Parliament.

   It is assumed that the decision for a revision appeal rests entirely in the competence of Swiss Federal Concillor Simonetta Sommaruga. The sudden visit of State Secretary Yves Rossier on 27th January 2014 in the Armenian capital Yerevan, however, opens up the speculation that the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs will also claim a role in the decision. Should, however, Switzerland refrain from using her right to request a revision, this would send the wrong signals with unforeseeable international consequences: Switzerland's good offices in a resolution of a conflict would not be taken seriously any longer. The SAA recalls that the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's visit to Bern on 10th October 2013 led the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to announce a strategic partnership with Ankara. President Burkhalter has therefore not hidden the fact that this was primarily tied to the Swiss expectations to be invited by Turkey in 2015 on the occasion of Turkey's Chairmanship of the G20 Summit. A passive position would further show that Switzerland does not give priority to the defense of her own basic constitutional rights. Finally, a refusal to appeal the ruling would give those populist forces an upswing who have traditionally sought to abolish the anti-racism penal code and the Swiss Federal Commission Against Racism. At the European level, Switzerland would confirm the supremacy of the legal body of the freedom of expression before all the other legal bodies and thus contribute to the violation of future human rights principles.

   We hope that President Didier Burkhalter - who by the way has only recently condemned with clear words the denial of all crimes against humanity on the occasion of his visit to Auschwitz at the end of January 2014 - as well as the Head of the FDJP, Federal Concillor Simonetta Sommaruga, are aware of their responsibility towards Switzerland and the world at large.

   Attachment: Factsheet national and international positions in favor of a revision of the ECHR ruling

Contact:
Andreas Dreisiebner, SAA Co-President
andreas777@gmx.net
Phone +41-79-671-86-19    

Sarkis Shahinian, SAA Honorary President
pg-shahinian@armenian.ch
Phone +41-76-399-16-25

Modal title

Contact PR Newswire

  • +44 (0)20 7454 5110
    from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT
  • General Enquiries
  • Media Enquiries
  • Partnerships

Products

  • Content Distribution
  • Multimedia Services
  • Disclosure Services
  • Cision Communications Cloud®

About

  • About PR Newswire
  • About Cision
  • Partnering Opportunities
  • Careers
  • Accessibility Statement
  • APAC
  • APAC - Simplified Chinese
  • APAC - Traditional Chinese
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Czech
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Mexico
  • Middle East
  • Middle East - Arabic
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • United States
  • Vietnam

My Services

  • All News Releases
  • Customer Portal
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Data Privacy

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via Privacy@cision.com 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact PR Newswire

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Customer Portal
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
+44 (0)20 7454 5110
from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Information Security Policy
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 PR Newswire Europe Limited. All Rights Reserved. A Cision company.