French Law on the Freedom of the Press of 29 July 1881 Presentation of the law if the Constitutional Council does not enforce censorship

Chapter IV : on crimes and major offences committed through press or any other means of publication Paragraph 1. : provocation to commit crimes and criminal offences
Art.23.- Modified by the Law 72-546 of July 1, 1972, Government Publication [GP] July 2, 1972; Law 85-1317 of December 13, 1985, art. 18-1, GP December 24, 1985; Law 2004-575 of June 21, 2004, art.2 II, GP June 22, 2004) Where a crime or major offence is committed, anyone who, by uttering speeches, cries or threats in a public place or assembly, or by means of a written or printed text, drawing, engraving, painting, emblem, image, or any other written, spoken or pictorial item sold or distributed, offered for sale or exhibited in a public place or assembly, or by means of a placard or notice exhibited in a place where it can be seen by the public, or by any other electronic means of communication to the public, have directly and successfully incited another or others to commit the said crime or major offence, shall be punished as an accomplice thereto. This provision will equally be applicable should the incitement only followed by an attempted criminal offence as provided in article 2 of the penal code.

Art.24.- (extract) Those who, by one of the means set forth in Article 23 have led to discrimination, hatred or violence against a person or group of persons becauseof their origin or their membership or non-membership of an ethnic group,nation, race or religion, shall be punished by imprisonment for one year and 45 000 euro fine and one of these penalties .

Art. 24 bis.- (modified by the Law 90-165 of July 13 1990, art. 9, Government Publication [GP] July 14 1990; Law 92-1336 of December 16 1992, art. 247, GP December 23 1992)

Anyone who deny, by using one of the means stated in article 23, the existence of one or more crimes against humanity as defined in article 6 of the Statute of the International Military Tribunal annexed to the London Charter of 8 August 1945 which have been committed either by the members of an organization declared criminal pursuant to article 9 of the Statute or by a person found guilty of such crimes by a French or International Court, shall be punished by the penalties provided in paragraph 3 of article 24.

Below are the additions to the Armenian Law. This is not published currently (Jean Eckian)

"Article 24 ter.- The penalties provided in article 24 bis are applicable to anyone has contested or excessively played down, through the means stated in article 23, the existence of one or more genocide as defined in article 211-1 of the Penal Code and recognized as such by the French Law.

In addition, the Court can order that the ruling will be displayed and disseminated in the conditions provided in article 131-35 of the Penal Code."

J.E.