October 29, 2015 - 15:40 AMT
Italian Abruzzo region passes resolution on Genocide recognition

The Italian region of Abruzzo on Tuesday, October 27 passed a bill to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

According to Armenia's Foreign Ministry, in a resolution adopted unanimously, the regional council expressed its solidarity with the Armenian people on the big tragedy’s centennial, thus supporting the nation-wide efforts towards the recognition of historical truth and the protection of human rights.

Council member Luciano Monticelli hailed the move, describing it as a remarkable historic achievement.

“Today, we wrote a very nice chapter in our region’s political history, unanimously adopting this resolution,” he said.

The Abuzzo regional council is the 99th Italian local government body to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

City Councils of Ravenna and Ivrea and the regional council of Marche recognized the Armenian Genocide on October 22, October 12 and October 6, respectively. Besides, the parliament of Italy’s Tuscany adopted a resolution acknowledging the Genocide on March 25 this year.

Over 30 Italian cities have recognized the Armenian Genocide, perpetrated at the hands of the Ottoman government in 1915.

Italy recognized the Genocide in 2000: the denial is criminalized.