Armenians can file a lawsuit against Germany, which tolerated the Genocide, thus becoming an accomplice, Geoffrey Robertson, famous British barrister and member of the team representing Armenia in ECHR case against Perinçek told Los Angeles Public TV reporter.
According to him, he expected Armenians to initiate the reparations process long ago. Robertson also pointed out to the effective ways of doing this. Specifically, Robertson said he once blamed Armenians for not initiating measures for reparations but at last Cilician Catholicosate filed a lawsuit with Turkish Constitutional Court to return the church property which the Turks illegally took away in 1915. This, according to him, was the beginning, which he hopes will have a successful end. For the further success of the reparations process, Robertson proposed to also use the the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), arguing that the occurence was a crime against humanity.
In Robertson’s words, Armenians can file a lawsuit against Germany, since Germany was an accomplice in tolerating the Genocide: it could prevent it but never did that. According to him, Serbia was held liable for the Srebrenica Genocide on the same ground, since Milošević knew what was going on but didn’t take any measures. Thus, Robertson proposed to seriously think in that direction.
Referring to the comment that Turkey is one of the main NATO states the partnership with whom is important for the West, Geoffrey Robertson said that Turkey’s value in the eyes of the West is undeniable, but the historical facts are above all. According to him, Turkey can close its airports for NATO States if they acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, but the facts are undeniable.
Robertson also explained that this was exactly the reason why he named his book “An Inconvenient Genocide,” since the fact of the Armenian Genocide causes many inconveniences to the West.