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100 YEARS AFTER THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: A MANIFESTO FOR MEMORY AND JUSTICE
20:42, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
On the day that marks the centenary of the Armenian genocide, the
first genocide of the twentieth century, FIDH (International Federation
for Human Rights) and its member organisations in Armenia, CSI (Civil
Society Institute) and in Turkey, IHD (Insan Haklari Dernegi), HRFT
(Human Rights Foundation of Turkey), pay tribute to the memory of
its victims.
In the continuation of the closing declarations of the FIDH Congresses
in Yerevan in 2010 and Istanbul in 2013, and on the occasion of
the commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian genocide, our
organisations adopt the following manifesto.
Preamble
Recalling the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide;
Considering that crimes of genocide affect the very essence of
humanity, defy imagination and are a profound affront to the human
conscience;
Affirming that the worst atrocities continue to affect the
consciousness and the trauma caused can be more effectively analysed
with time; that crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity
are a threat to international public order and affect the entire
international community; that it is inconceivable for the law of
"oblivion" to be applied to crimes committed against the community
of nations and humanity itself; that these crimes are by their nature
imprescriptible;
Recalling that about 1,5 million Armenians perished in the genocide at
the beginning of the 20th century, among which numerous were executed
and 1 million died during the enforced deportation and transfer of
the Armenian people from the Anatolian part of the Ottoman Empire;
and that numerous Armenians were subject to physical or mental harm;
Considering that the exact conditions of their death and the location
of their remains are, for the vast majority of victims, unknown, and
that the families and descendants of these victims could not grieve,
these enforced disappearances can be qualified as continuous crimes
under Article 8 of the International Convention for the Protection
of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
Recalling that the right of victims and their descendants to truth,
justice and reparation is fundamental and indispensable to lasting
peace and any process of reconciliation;
Recalling the dangers of hate speech and negationist discourse
concerning international crimes perpetrated, while calling for respect
for freedom of expression which is an essential vehicle for respect
for human rights;
Recalling the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy
and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human
Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law
(Resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on
16 December 2005), and the second and third paragraphs of its preamble
in particular.
Manifesto
FIDH and its member organisations in Armenia and Turkey, CSI, IHD
and HRFT:
1. Pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide which haunts
the memory of humanity;
2. Salute the role of the "just" who saved Armenian lives during
the genocide;
3. Solemnly call on Turkey to officially recognise its responsibility
in the crime of genocide of Armenian populations, organised and
perpetrated by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire;
4. Call on Turkey to cease its official policy of denial and to meet
the cost of reparations due for the harm sustained and the suffering
endured by the victims, their descendants and the Armenian community
as a whole;
5. Affirm that this recognition alone, which is essential to the
task of memory, will enable Armenia and Turkey to re-establish a
relationship of trust and engage in a process of reconciliation
between the two States; a process in which civil society on both
sides is already engaged;
6. Urge Turkey to work towards a normalisation of its relations
with Armenia, without preconditions, in particular by opening the
common border;
7. Urge the Turkish government to counter hate speech and
stigmatisation of Armenians that its policy of denying the genocide
helps sustain;
Consider that complete fulfilment of human rights, particularly the
protection of rights and political freedoms, is essential to break
taboos and promote dialogue and exchange; and call on civil society
in Armenia and Turkey to campaign for grievances to be addressed,
and to contribute to building and promoting relations between the
two societies;
9.Call on Turkey and Armenia to ratify the Statute of the International
Criminal Court and to incorporate its provisions into their domestic
law, thereby clearly indicating their willingness to fight impunity
for international crimes and to guarantee regional and international
security and peace;
10. Remind governments around the world, members of the United Nations
Security Council as well as the European Union and Council of Europe's
member states that the best way of preventing further crimes lies in
fighting impunity for past ones; to this end, urge the international
community to support this manifesto and intercede with the Turkish and
Armenian governments, so that ad hoc mechanisms are put in place to
satisfy the need for truth, justice and reparation for the genocide
committed against the Armenians.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/04/22/100-years-after-the-armenian-genocide-a-manifesto-for-memory-and-justice/
20:42, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
On the day that marks the centenary of the Armenian genocide, the
first genocide of the twentieth century, FIDH (International Federation
for Human Rights) and its member organisations in Armenia, CSI (Civil
Society Institute) and in Turkey, IHD (Insan Haklari Dernegi), HRFT
(Human Rights Foundation of Turkey), pay tribute to the memory of
its victims.
In the continuation of the closing declarations of the FIDH Congresses
in Yerevan in 2010 and Istanbul in 2013, and on the occasion of
the commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian genocide, our
organisations adopt the following manifesto.
Preamble
Recalling the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide;
Considering that crimes of genocide affect the very essence of
humanity, defy imagination and are a profound affront to the human
conscience;
Affirming that the worst atrocities continue to affect the
consciousness and the trauma caused can be more effectively analysed
with time; that crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity
are a threat to international public order and affect the entire
international community; that it is inconceivable for the law of
"oblivion" to be applied to crimes committed against the community
of nations and humanity itself; that these crimes are by their nature
imprescriptible;
Recalling that about 1,5 million Armenians perished in the genocide at
the beginning of the 20th century, among which numerous were executed
and 1 million died during the enforced deportation and transfer of
the Armenian people from the Anatolian part of the Ottoman Empire;
and that numerous Armenians were subject to physical or mental harm;
Considering that the exact conditions of their death and the location
of their remains are, for the vast majority of victims, unknown, and
that the families and descendants of these victims could not grieve,
these enforced disappearances can be qualified as continuous crimes
under Article 8 of the International Convention for the Protection
of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
Recalling that the right of victims and their descendants to truth,
justice and reparation is fundamental and indispensable to lasting
peace and any process of reconciliation;
Recalling the dangers of hate speech and negationist discourse
concerning international crimes perpetrated, while calling for respect
for freedom of expression which is an essential vehicle for respect
for human rights;
Recalling the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy
and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human
Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law
(Resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on
16 December 2005), and the second and third paragraphs of its preamble
in particular.
Manifesto
FIDH and its member organisations in Armenia and Turkey, CSI, IHD
and HRFT:
1. Pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide which haunts
the memory of humanity;
2. Salute the role of the "just" who saved Armenian lives during
the genocide;
3. Solemnly call on Turkey to officially recognise its responsibility
in the crime of genocide of Armenian populations, organised and
perpetrated by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire;
4. Call on Turkey to cease its official policy of denial and to meet
the cost of reparations due for the harm sustained and the suffering
endured by the victims, their descendants and the Armenian community
as a whole;
5. Affirm that this recognition alone, which is essential to the
task of memory, will enable Armenia and Turkey to re-establish a
relationship of trust and engage in a process of reconciliation
between the two States; a process in which civil society on both
sides is already engaged;
6. Urge Turkey to work towards a normalisation of its relations
with Armenia, without preconditions, in particular by opening the
common border;
7. Urge the Turkish government to counter hate speech and
stigmatisation of Armenians that its policy of denying the genocide
helps sustain;
Consider that complete fulfilment of human rights, particularly the
protection of rights and political freedoms, is essential to break
taboos and promote dialogue and exchange; and call on civil society
in Armenia and Turkey to campaign for grievances to be addressed,
and to contribute to building and promoting relations between the
two societies;
9.Call on Turkey and Armenia to ratify the Statute of the International
Criminal Court and to incorporate its provisions into their domestic
law, thereby clearly indicating their willingness to fight impunity
for international crimes and to guarantee regional and international
security and peace;
10. Remind governments around the world, members of the United Nations
Security Council as well as the European Union and Council of Europe's
member states that the best way of preventing further crimes lies in
fighting impunity for past ones; to this end, urge the international
community to support this manifesto and intercede with the Turkish and
Armenian governments, so that ad hoc mechanisms are put in place to
satisfy the need for truth, justice and reparation for the genocide
committed against the Armenians.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/04/22/100-years-after-the-armenian-genocide-a-manifesto-for-memory-and-justice/