Armenian Assembly resolute to struggle for Genocide international recognition

April 24, 2011 - 12:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Assembly of America Country Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh Armine Darbinyan said the Armenian Genocide should be considered not only from the historical perspective, but also in the context of human rights.

Bloody events continue taking place around the globe, since the world has not condemned acts of genocide, including the Armenian Genocide, in due time, Darbinyan said after visiting the Armenian Genocide Memorial.

“Any crime that is left unpunished gives birth to new crimes. That is why the Armenian Assembly is resolute to struggle for the Armenian Genocide international recognition,” noted Darbinyan.

She added that the Assembly will continue working with the U.S. Congressmen and President’s Administration to gain the Armenian Genocide recognition by the U.S. eventually.

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.