What Has Disturbed You So Much That You Are Fighting Against the Law? Vardanyan

The Armenian National Assembly is discussing a draft law proposed by the "Armenia" faction that aims to amend the Criminal Code.

Arthur Hovhannisyan from the ruling Civil Contract party stated, "The opposition has brought a fake agenda, claiming that the genocide is being denied, and there is total propaganda against the genocide, etc. You have taken the topic and are playing with people's emotions."

The response from the opposition was swift, with Armenia faction MP Gegham Manukyan remarking, "What we could not imagine years ago, that in the April 24 message or in various conferences beforehand, the worm of doubt would rise regarding why the Armenian Genocide happened, has now knocked on our door. We could not have anticipated that the Armenian Genocide would be removed from the agenda in international conferences related to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The eye is afraid of what it has seen, that is why we are trying to prevent what the eye has seen for future generations."

Opposition member Arthur Khachatryan also spoke, saying, "The need that has prompted us to make this initiative is about the actions and statements of the current authorities aimed at diminishing the consequences of the genocide. Now the Soviet Union is no longer, everything has changed, so why should we remember the genocide? This is the essence of your policy, and that’s why we are proposing this initiative."

Another member of the faction, Kristine Vardanyan, posed a question to the ruling party members: "What is the problem, people? We have brought an article that criminalizes the denial of the Armenian Genocide. The only thing you are saying sensibly is that such an article already exists—Article 136. This article states that the denial of genocide is criminalized if it has been committed with the aim of inciting hatred, discrimination, or violence against a person or a group based on racial belonging, skin color, national or ethnic origin, or religious affiliation. To clarify further, if this purpose does not exist, the denial of genocide has not been criminalized. Now, if you are not pursuing this denial policy, what problem do you have? What has disturbed you so much that you are fighting against the law in the National Assembly trenches? What problem could an Armenian have with this law? The Prime Minister of Israel recognizes the Armenian Genocide live on air, and he says the next day, we must understand what solutions the recognition of genocide brings us. It’s good that you haven’t condemned Netanyahu’s recognition…"