At its May 22 session, the Armenian government issued a negative opinion on a bill proposed by the Armenia parliamentary faction that sought to amend the Criminal Code to criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide.

As Panorama.am reports, the proposal was included among non-reportable items on the meeting agenda and was dismissed on the grounds of lacking legislative necessity.

The bill was introduced ahead of the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Artsvik Minasyan, secretary of the Armenia faction, stated that the initiative aimed to establish criminal liability for genocide denial.

Under the proposed law, penalties would have included fines ranging from 100 to 300 times the minimum wage, 150 to 250 hours of public service, or restriction of freedom for one to four years.

Earlier, during a meeting with the Armenian community in Switzerland, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented on the genocide by stating the need to understand “what happened and why.” He later reaffirmed in a press conference that the Armenian Genocide is a historical fact that is "undeniable and irrefutable." Pashinyan also noted that denial or repudiation of the Armenian Genocide is already considered a criminal offense in Armenia.