Recognition must be backed by justice, says Iñarritu

PanARMENIAN.Net - Spanish lawmaker Jon Iñarritu argues that recognizing the Armenian Genocide is not enough—it must be accompanied by robust mechanisms for prevention, accountability, and restorative justice to give genuine meaning to the phrase “never again.”

Iñarritu praised the international community's progress in acknowledging and condemning the Armenian Genocide, noting that the past decades have seen significant advances, reports Armenpress.

“It was a slow but decisive process—a vital step toward historical truth after a long silence. Let us not forget that it was in response to this atrocity that Raphael Lemkin coined the term ‘genocide,’ naming the crime and giving humanity a legal tool to prevent future atrocities. Yet, two deeply troubling realities persist: more than a century later, crimes against humanity, forced displacements, and ethnic cleansing still occur in various parts of the world, often in plain sight of an international community that remains passive,” said Iñarritu.

He also expressed concern over the situation of Armenians who were ethnically cleansed and displaced from their homeland following Azerbaijani actions in September 2023. Iñarritu emphasized that the Armenian people continue to face persecution and forced displacement from their historic lands.

“The tragic example is the recent violent expulsion of Armenians from Artsakh. These facts show that recognition alone is not enough. It must be followed by effective mechanisms for prevention, accountability, and restorative justice if we are to truly uphold the words ‘never again,’” he concluded.