Each civilized society will recognize Armenian Genocide, Russian MP says

April 24, 2011 - 10:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Each civilized society will recognize the Armenian Genocide, a Russian member of parliament said.

“Almost 100 years ago, Ottoman Turks started mass arrests and murders of the Armenian population. About one and a half million of Armenians fell victims to the monstrous policy of the Turkish government,” Ivan Savvidi said.

“Years later, wounds still hurt. The innocent victims as if appeal to the humanity to keep in mind the bloody mistakes of the past and prevent conflicts and aggression,” he added.

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.