Eduard Sharmazanov considers important message call of Chairmen of  Parliament of Cyprus on international recognition of Armenian  Genocide

ArmInfo. The Vice Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov considers important the message call of the Chairmen of Parliament of Cyprus Dimitris 

Silluris on the international community to recognize the Armenia 

Genocide. 

As he noted in a discussion with ArmInfo correspondent, Cyprus is one 

of the European countries not only recognized the genocide but also 

criminalized its denial. ?It is an important statement not only in 

the context that one of EU state-members calls on to recognize the 

Armenian Genocide, but in the context of preventing new crimes 

against humanity as well?, noted the politician. 

To note, the Cypriot Parliament?s Chairman Dimitris Silluris called 

on the internation community to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 

Ottoman Empire. According to him, there was a policy of ethnic 

cleansing against Armenians in Ottoman Empire. He stressed that 

Turkey continues to deny the Armenian Genocide after a century. 

?Cyprus was among the firsts who recognized and condemned the 

Armenian Genocide, in 1990 the Cypriot Parliament unanimously 

recognized April 24 as the Day of Remembrance of the Genocide 

Victims. The parliament adopted also the law on criminalization of 

denial of the Armenian Genocide and crimes against humanity?, he 

noted.  

To recall, the first country to recognize that crime against humanity  

was Uruguay. Genocide of Armenians has been recognized by 44 United  

States as well as by 23 countries, including Canada, Argentina, 

Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, France, Poland, Slovakia, the  

Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus, Vatican, Sweden, Lithuania. Switzerland,  

Slovakia and Greece have even passed laws criminalizing denial of the 

Armenian Genocide. The Genocide of Armenians was recognized also by  

the Council of Europe, European Parliament, the UN Subcommittee to  

prevent discrimination and protect minorities, the UN Committee for 

Military Crimes, the World Church Council, as well as New South  

Wales, San-Paolo, Seara and Parana (Brazil), Wales, Scotland and  

Northern Ireland, the Basque Country, Catalonia, Balearic Islands  

(Spain), Quebec,  Kyiv, Uzhgorod, Izyum.  Goloseevskiy region  

(Ukraine), Crimea. Turkey still denies the genocide of 1.5 million  

Armenians in 1915-1923.  Euronest PA and EPP have recognized and  

condemned the Genocide of Armenians.