The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) today approved the inclusion of Armenia as a third party litigant in the “Perincek v. Switzerland, App. # 27510/08” case scheduled to be examined on January 28, 2015.

The approval was made by Armenia's Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan, who also represents Armenia at the ECHR. Kostanyan had petitioned the court on July 20, requesting that Armenia act as a third party in the case.

The case involves Doğu Perinçek, a Turkish national, who was found guilty in 2007 by local and Swiss courts of racial discrimination given his public pronouncements in 2005 of denying that the Ottoman Empire had perpetrated the crime of genocide against the Armenian people in 1915 and the following years. He described the idea of an Armenian genocide as an “international lie”.

In 2008, Perinçek lodged an appeal with the ECHR, complaining that the Swiss courts had breached his freedom of expression. In December of last year, the ECHR found that the grounds given by the Swiss national authorities in order to justify Mr Perinçek’s conviction were insufficient and that his right to freedom of expression had been violated.

The Government of Switzerland recently petitioned that the Doğu Perinçek case be referred to the ECHR Grand Chamber for review.

Prior to the January 28 session, Armenia will submit to the ECHR Grand Chamber, its position, in writing, on this case. On January 28, Armenia will have the opportunity to present its position orally.