EU Mission in Armenia ‘Falls Short’ of Commemorating Genocide, Says EAFJD

“The wording used by the EU Mission to Armenia on the Armenian Genocide falls short of paying tribute to the 1.5 million innocent victims,” said EAFJD president Kaspar Karampetian

In an open letter sent to Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, Head of the European Union delegation to \Armenia, the European Federation for Justice and Democracy expressed its disappointment with the recent post on Twitter, published on April 24—the of the Armenian Genocide commemoration—where unlike in past years, the EU Mission to Armenia avoided using the term “Armenian Genocide” and instead ambiguously referred to “tragic events.”

“The aim of this statement might well have been to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Nevertheless, as descendants of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide myself and many members of our organization, we regrettably have to note that such a statement of the EU Mission to Armenia falls short of paying tribute to the 1.5 million innocent victims. Unfortunately, the wording used does not accurately reflect the scope of what the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire had to go through and is simply a dangerously vague and potentially misleading euphemism. A genuine and acceptable commemoration requires acknowledging the truth and speaking it out,” said EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian in the letter to the EU Mission in Armenia.

“As you know, in 2015 the European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution on the centenary of the Genocide where the EP reinforces its stance of 1987, officially recognizes, condemns the Armenian Genocide and calls on Turkey to come to terms with its past. On 9. December 2019 – the international day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, the EU External Action Service also made a reference to the Armenian Genocide,” added Karampetian.
“As European citizens we do believe that one of the main strengths of the European Union is its commitment to upholding human rights and justice. We therefore sincerely hope that when referring to the Armenian Genocide the EU Mission to Armenia uses the term that reflects the true scope of what happened,” stressed Karampetian.