Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: info@aaainc.org
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2005
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: ckojoian@aaainc.org
 
FORMER AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA HARRY GILMORE RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Calls for International Recognition of Crimes

Washington, DC – Harry Gilmore, the first American Ambassador to
Armenia, is the latest U.S. official to publicly acknowledge the
Armenian Genocide and call for international recognition of this
crime against humanity. In an interview with Radio Free Europe/ Radio
Liberty (RFE/RL) this week, the retired diplomat said, “There is no
doubt that the Armenian events were genocide.”

Gilmore’s comments follow those of current U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans, who repeatedly referenced the Armenian Genocide during
his first stateside visit to Armenian communities across the country.
During a series of public exchanges with Armenians late last month,
Evans said “The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the
twentieth century.”

Gilmore told RFE/RL that the crimes against the Armenians fit the
definition of genocide as determined by the U.N. Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.

“The key point is that the convention sets up a standard and the
massacres and deportations of the Ottoman Armenians meet that standard
fully,” Gilmore stated.

The Ambassador’s characterization also conforms to the summary
conclusions of the International Center for Transitional Justice
on the use of the term Armenian Genocide, which states that: “The
Events, viewed collectively, can thus be said to include all of the
elements of the crime of genocide as defined in the Convention, and
legal scholars as well as historians, politicians, journalists and
other people would be justified in continuing to so describe them.”

In addition, the remarks are in keeping with the publicly stated
declarations of over 120 renowned Holocaust and Genocide scholars who
signed a statement in 2000 affirming that the Armenian Genocide is
an incontestable historical fact and urging that the governments of
Western democracies likewise recognize it as such. The petitioners,
among whom is Nobel Laureate for Peace Elie Wiesel, also asked Western
democracies to urge the Government and Parliament of Turkey to finally
come to terms with a dark chapter of Ottoman-Turkish history and to
recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The Assembly last week launched an aggressive campaign for
U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide – urging President Bush
to properly characterize the attempted annihilation of the Armenian
people as genocide.

The Assembly additionally sent a “call to action” to thousands of
its members and activists around the country, encouraging their
involvement in the campaign for formal, full and irrevocable U.S
reaffirmation of the Genocide.

For information on how to get involved, log on to the Assembly Web
site at or send an email to the Assembly’s grassroots
branch ARAMAC at aramac@aaainc.org.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.

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NR#2005-023

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