Hollande to attend Genocide commemoration ceremony in Paris

Hollande to attend Genocide commemoration ceremony in Paris

PanARMENIAN.Net - French President Francois Hollande will attend the Armenian Genocide commemoration ceremony to be held near the monument to Komitas in Paris on April 24. The information was confirmed by the French president’s administration, Armenia Now reported.

Hollande will attend the official April 24 remembrance ceremony for the first time since he was elected president in 2012.

The Co-ordination Council of Armenian organizations of France (CCAF) thanked the French authorities for honoring the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Francois Hollande's presence confirms his respect for obligations, his commitment to fundamental values of democracy and respect for genocide victims, CCAF said in a statement.

Hollande scheduled a visit to Armenia in May; as was reported earlier, initiation of the Genocide denial criminalization bill will be officially announced during the Freoch leader's visit to Armenia.

According to Ermenihaber.am, Istanbul will host a number of events dedicated to the 99th anniversary of the Genocide; an exhibit "Portraits of Exile - 99 pictures of Armenian Genocide survivors" will be showcased in Diyarbakir.

Photo: Brave Patrie
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.

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