AAE: the world has to condemn the Armenian Genocide

April 22, 2010 - 13:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The world has to condemn the Armenian Genocide, with perpetrators held responsible for their crime, Armenian Assembly of Europe said in its statement.

“It’s been 95 years, and still, the world has failed to condemn this inhuman crime. The Genocide continues to this day, as Turkey persists in denial of the fact. Moreover, after 95 years, Turkey threatens with deportation of illegal Armenians.

We call on Armenians worldwide to unite in the struggle for recognition of our rights and restoration of justice,” the statement emphasized.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.