Statement of the MFA of Armenia on the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
Today, on April 24, the Armenian people around the world commemorate the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide that took place in the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century.
As a result of this planned and unprecedented by its scale crime against humanity, in 1915-1923 1.5 million Armenians were killed, hundreds of thousands were subjected to violence and forced deportation, being deprived of the opportunity to preserve their identity in their homeland. This crime, which was carried out against an entire people just because of their nationality, being Armenian, later became the basis for the definition of the crime of genocide and was reflected in the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
After more than a century, it should be underlined that the international community’s solidarity in condemning and recognizing the crime of genocide is reflected in the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by about three dozen countries at the state level, as well as the adoption of relevant resolutions and declarations by a number of international institutions, the unanimous adoption of the “Prevention of Genocide” resolutions authored by Armenia in the UN Human Rights Council.
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The international recognition of the Genocide is aimed at preventing the repetition of a similar crime against humanity in any other corner of the world, including the threats of new ethnic cleansing: it is the indifference, tolerance and impunity that make this mass crime possible.
Unfortunately, today as a century ago, the danger of genocidal policy is palpable in different corners of the world. Even today, Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh are facing the danger of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The continuous aggressive policy of Azerbaijan towards the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, the anti-Armenian rhetoric, the actions aimed at depriving Armenians of their homeland, erasing the Armenian trace are nothing, but a manifestation of genocidal intentions.
Today, once again bowing in memory of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and as a pioneer in advancing the genocide prevention agenda, we reaffirm our commitment to justice, recognition of truth, prevention of new genocides and crimes against humanity, and the fight against discrimination and intolerance on ethnic, religious and racial grounds.