Interview with the Director of the Institute of History of NAS RA, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Ashot Melkonyan

– Start of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was given by the adoption of the Pan-Armenian Declaration, which is important for our people, where we attach importance to not only the issue of the Armenian massacres, but patricide – the loss of the homeland. At the state level they began to take serious attention to the decision of Woodrow Wilson of November 22, 1920, on which the winner-powers of the First World War imagined the solution of the Armenian issue by creating a free, independent Armenia, adding to it a large part of the provinces of Van, Bitlis, Trabzon, Erzurum.

Events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide were organized at a very high level both in the Motherland and in the Diaspora due to the fact that these works were coordinated by one center – the State Commission for the 100th anniversary.

Among the activities we would like to highlight the Mass of Roman Pope Francis 1st in memory of our millions of victims, which also had political consequences – the Commission for External Relations of the Czech Parliament adopted a resolution recognizing the Genocide, Genocide was also recognized by Brazil and Paraguay.

It would be desirable to have also far-reaching initiatives, in particular the adoption of the resolution on patricide and definition of criminal punishment for that. The fact is that according to the resolution of Jew Raphael Lemkin of 1948, total or partial destruction of an ethnic group is considered a criminal offense. However, there is no law that would determine a punishment for deprivation of the people of its homeland. Now our task is to pass a corresponding bill in the United Nations. To this my monograph “Genocide and retribution” is dedicated which was published this year.

In the past year in the calendar of the UN one more date was added: December 9 – Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Genocides. The author of this resolution is Armenia. This is one of our political and diplomatic victories.

After 2015 a new era begins – we need to move the issue of the Armenian Genocide from international recognition to the political and legal plane. We must achieve the adoption of the UN resolution on depriving of the motherland, and having the relevant article we can enter the International Court of Justice. And then the next century will be 100 years of retribution and victory, unlike the previous one, which was 100 years of recognition and struggle.

Genocide recognition process is completed, the era of retribution begins, to which we must prepare the entire nation…

Prepared by HASMIK POGHOSYAN