An increasing number of parliaments, mainly in Europe, like the Bundestag on Thursday passed laws or resolutions explicitly recognizing the Armenian Genocide, unlike other countries failing to pronounce the word that puts Turkey in fury.

According to the Armenian National Institute, 26 other parliaments have recognized the genocide: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Paraguay , Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela. But these votes may take forms and have many different legal litters.

– Recognition and denial –

France was in January 2001, the first major country to recognize the Armenian genocide. The denial of the genocide is not however penalized, the Constitutional Council censored in February 2012 a law in this sense, judging contrary to freedom of expression.

In contrast to France, some countries criminalize denial of Armenian genocide like Switzerland where a revisionist was sentenced in federal court in 2007, and Cyprus by a law adopted in April 2015.

Cypriot law establishes April 24, when the first massacres in 1915, as a National Day of Remembrance in this country, where members of the Armenian minority are mostly descendants of the survivors of the “genocide”.

– Other European parliaments –

Among parliaments that have recently adopted a resolution recognizing the genocide include the Luxembourg Parliament in May 2015, and Belgium, in July of the same year. The resolution adopted by the Belgian Parliament, however, not explicitly recognizes the genocide character of the massacres and deportations of Armenians.

The European Parliament recognized the genocide in 1987.

The genocidal massacres and deportations occurred between 1915 and 1917 was recognized by the parliaments of several countries such as Russia (1994), Greece (1996), Italy (2000), the Netherlands (2004) Sweden (2010).

April 24, 2015, in full commemoration by Armenia of the 100th anniversary of the genocide, Pope Francis speaks of “first genocide of the twentieth century” about the massacre of Armenians in the most solemn part of the St. Peter’s Basilica. A first in the Vatican.

More symbolically, the Austrian MEPs observed in April 2015, a minute of silence in memory of the Armenian genocide, a first in this country formerly allied with the Ottoman Empire and that term has never been officially endorsed.

– US Hesitation –

April 20, 1965, Uruguay was the first country to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Other Latin American countries have followed such as Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil.

The Canadian House of Commons has recognized the Armenian genocide in 2004.

In the US, Congress recognized the genocide with the adoption of resolutions by the House in 1975 and 1984. When he was campaigning for the White House in 2008, Barack Obama pledged to recognize the genocide, a term however, he never employed as president.

AFP