European Parliament Calls Its Member States Legally to Acknowledge the Armenian Genocide

• 03.13.2015, 11:18
•  Europe,  World,  Armenia,  Diaspora

The European Parliament adopted the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2013 and the European Union Policy on the Matter. Article 77 of the report refers to the Armenian Genocide and reads as follows: "European Parliament calls, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, on all the Member States legally to acknowledge it, and encourages the Member States and the EU institutions to contribute further to its recognition."

The report also calls the EU member states to respect the rights of the minorities, especially in the Middle East, "where Christians, including Catholics, Apostolic Armenians, Copts and Yezidis, and Muslim minorities are being persecuted by ISIS and other terrorist groups."

As Armenian Weekly reports, the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) welcomed the report and expressed hope that the EU will make Turkey to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The European Friends of Armenia also welcomed the report. "After a long break, the European Parliament reasserts its position on the Armenian Genocide, and again reaffirms that genocides and their denials are a human rights matter. During this special year, we are thankful for this strong signal of European solidarity with the Armenian people," – Armenian Weekly quotes the words of the Director of the European Friends of Armenia, Lorenzo Ochoa.