Geoffrey Robertson Legal Opinion on Armenian Genocide remained unopposed in UK Parliament

PanARMENIAN.Net - On 14th December 2009, Geoffrey Robertson QC, in a meeting organised by the British Armenian All Party Parliamentary Group, developed the conclusions of his Legal Opinion into the Armenian Genocide and the present Labour government's ten-year campaign to mislead parliament on this foreign policy and ethical issue. This administration has continued to maintain that it has examined the issue when it had not, that it sought expert opinion when none was sought, and advances arguments for its policy that are demolished in the Legal Opinion.



This was a momentous occasion for the cause of Armenian Genocide Recognition in the British Parliament as Geoffrey Robertson QC`s " Legal Opinion " regarding the Armenian Genocide and with reference to Foreign and Commonwealth Office Documents, which showed "how British Ministers , Parliamentarians and People have been misled by the Government" 

Ambassador Vahe Gabrielyan ,in his introductory Address, emphasized the importance of this Report which proves the reluctance of the British Government to recognize the Armenian Genocide "not because of lack of proof but merely because of political inexpediency" and affirmed the determination of the Armenian Government who ," although engaged in the recent normalization of Armenian-Turkish Relations , will not sacrifice the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide ".He said that " recognition by Turkey will continue to be an objective for all Armenians and this cannot and should not hinder building relations between the two countries"



Following His Excellency`s Address, Baroness Cox ( chair BAAPPG ) introduced the Speaker who presented his findings about the coordinated  policies of past and present British Governments to mislead and deceive its Ministers , Parliamentarians and People . 



After Mr Robertson`s Presentation, Baroness Cox read some extracts of letters received,as early as 1994, from past and present British Governments who have denied the Armenian Genocide, presented few paragraphs from the Statement Issued by the 126 Historians who have confirmed the veracity of that Genocide and from some letters of Dignitaries and Parliamentarians who have supported that Motion. 



In 2008, the Armenian Legal Initiative Group ( ALIG) set-up a Fund and commissioned Mr Geoffrey Robertson QC to reach its own independent conclusions on all legal and factual issues regarding the Armenian Genocide .Mr Robertson advised that an application should be made to obtain and extract all the important and secret policy documents which have informed the UK government`s position . 



Mr Robertson's Legal Opinion published by Doughty Street Chambers will serve as a case study of how easily government policy can be manipulated by a Foreign Office that has abandoned the "ethical dimension " in favour of what it thinks will be commercial and diplomatic advantage . 



The publication , entitled "Was there an Armenian Genocide" has been sent to Cabinet Ministers , Parliamentarians ( in both Houses of Parliament), Diplomats , Historians , Scholars ,  the Media , the Think-Thank organisations , the Lords Spiritual and the "Judiciary" . 



Of the 40 Senior Jurists who have received the "Legal Opinion" and are Members of both Houses of Parliament (including three Cabinet Ministers)  not one came to challenge it . 



Today we can legitimately claim that the British Government has failed to rise to the challenge of defending its policy of collusion with the Turkish State`s Denial of its criminal past.