U.S. Court rules Genocide Museum property must revert to Cafesjian Foundation

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that all properties for the planned Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial must revert to the Cafesjian Family Foundation by May 23, court papers indicate.

The ruling comes after the court ruled in favor of the CFF on January 26 in a bitter lawsuit with the Armenian Assembly of America.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly also denied a motion by the Assembly for a new trial after it lost the initial case.

“I welcome the court’s concluding verdict that finally frees us all to build this long-awaited museum and memorial about the fact and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide,” CFF chairman Gerard L. Cafesjian said, commenting on the verdict.

“Thankfully, this case is finally over,” CFF counsel, John B. Williams, said. “The properties have to be transferred to CFF in the next two weeks. That is what we have all been fighting for. We hope that the Assembly leadership will be willing to amicably resolve the few loose ends that remain.”

CFF board member Ross Vartian reiterated the call to the leadership of the Armenian Assembly to “cease blocking the project and instead to abide by the May 9 ruling ordering the transfer of all properties to the CFF no later than May 23, 2011,” according to the Armenian Reporter.

“Further delay serves no constructive purpose,” Vartian added in a comment to the Reporter, which is published by Cafesjian.

The ruling is the final judgment in the case, Asbarez reported.