Armenian parliament resolution calls on world parliament to recognize and condemn Armenian genocide

YEREVAN, April 21, /ARKA/. The National Assembly of Armenia has adopted a resolution today at an emergency session calling on the parliaments of the world to recognize and condemn the Armenian genocide committed by the government of the Ottoman Turkey in the final years of World War I. The resolution was backed by all 131 members of the parliament.

“Guided by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 9 December 1948, the law of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Armenian Social Republic on the Condemnation of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkey in 1915 of November 22, 1988, emphasizing the Pan-Armenian Declaration on the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the contribution of the Armenian people together with the international community to the fight against crimes against humanity, appreciating the parliaments of the countries, which recognized the Armenian Genocide and the countries which adopted laws condemning the denial of genocide, the National Assembly of Armenia calls on the parliaments of all countries and nations to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkey as a crime committed against humanity,” the resolution states.

The resolution is authored by members of parliament from  Heritage, Prosperous Armenia, Republican, Orinats Yerkir, and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation parties. 

The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century. According to Armenian and many other historians, up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed starting in 1915 in a systematic campaign by the government of Turkey. Turkey has been denying it for decades. 

The Armenian genocide was recognized by tens of countries. The first was Uruguay that did so in 1965. Other nations are Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, 43 U.S. states.  It was recognized also by the Vatican, the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches and other international organizations. M.V. –0-