PRESS RELEASE – 24 April 2007
Armenia Solidarity
British Armenian All Party Parliamentary Group
Nor Serount Publications
Tel 07876561398 or 07718982732
e-mails : [email protected], [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
Press Release
A major presentation of evidence for the Armenian Genocide to be held in the
Grand Committee Room, The House of Commons, on the 24th April (Armenian
Genocide Day) at 4.00 p.m. The experts include Greg Topalian, Christopher
Walker, Desmond Fernandes, Linda Melvern, Dr Margaret Brearley, Professor
Theo van Lint and Farhad Malekian, director of the Institute of
International Criminal Law, Uppsala, Sweden
The UK government has declined an invitation to attend this presentation.
Their position that there is insufficient evidence for the Armenian Genocide
is opposed by the overwhelming majority of independent genocide scholars and
historians in the UK and across the world. Their reluctance to listen to
this presentation while repeating the Turkish official line without
qualification is a concern and an untenable position. The UK government will
not rise to the challenge of persuading the Turkish authorities to prepare
for EU entry by adopting European values including facing up to their
history.
102 MPs have signed Early Day Motion 357 recognising the Armenian Genocide.
Of the other international EDMs only those on Darfur, Burma and Zimbabwe
have received more signatures.
We understand that the government whips are actively discouraging
parliamentarians to attend our events that include a prayer meeting at St
Mary’s under Croft Chapel in the House of Lords.
MPs will be wearing the white poppy in parliament next week as a visible
sign of their recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Program of Events
Armenia Solidarity
British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group
Nor Serount Publications
You are warmly invited to the following events on
Armenian Genocide Day, the 24th April.
Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide
1 Leafleting at the gates of parliament (9.00 a.m. till noon)
2.. Remembrance at St Mary’s-under-Croft Church, the House of Lords
at 11.00 am (until 11.20 am )
3.. Wreath-laying at the Monument to the Innocents outside
Westminster Abbey (with Darfuri representatives) – (12.00 till 12.15 pm)
4.. Major Presentation of evidence for the Armenian Genocide in
the Grand Committee Room, The House of Commons
at 4.00 pm, till 5.30 pm
Chaired by Lord Avebury & sponsored by John Bercow M.P.
Followed by: Appeal to all MPs to support Early Day Motion 357 on the
Genocide and the Formation of a Future Delegation to meet the Rt. Hon Geoff
Hoon
5.. At 5.45 pm: Proceed together from the House of Commons to a
Laying of a wreath at the Cenotaph,
at 6.00 pm
Please reply to Eilian Williams, by email [email protected] or
by telephone 07876 561 398, to the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary
Group ([email protected]) and the Nor Serount Publications
([email protected]) if you are willing to help and to put your name
down for the Remembrance at St Mary’s-under-Croft Church (event number 2
above), the House of Lords at 11.00 am
Additional Notes for Editors
Greg Topalian
Gregory Topalian is a historian focusing on comparative memories of the
Armenian genocide, the Holocaust and other genocides. His current work looks
at different levels of denial, from the blatant approach of the Turkish
State, to the role academia and the media play in the denial process.
Topalian has acted as an academic advisor to a number of organizations,
contributed to a number of radio and television documentaries on the
Armenian genocide and currently directs the Gomidas Institute’s educational
programmes aimed at young people in the United Kingdom.
Christopher Walker
Christopher Walker is a recognised expert with an extensive bibliography on
the Armenians and their history from co-authoring the Minority Rights Group
publication, The Armenians, through Armenia, Survival of a Nation to editing
Vision of Ararat, Writings on Armenia
Desmond Fernandes
Desmond Fernandes is the author of ‘The Kurdish Genocide in Turkey’
(to be published in 2007 by Apec Press, Stockholm) who has written a number
of articles on genocide, Turkish state terror, tourism and the ‘Kurdish
Question’. He was a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at De Montfort
University in Bedford from 1994 to 2006, specialising in Genocide Studies,
Sustainable Development, Globalisation and Imperialism. He is currently a
member of the Consortium for Research on Terrorology and Political Violence
(CRTPV). CRTPV is a consortium of academics operating under the auspices of
NASPIR (The Network of Activist Scholars of Politics and International
Relations) and the Public Interest Research Network (PIRN) on issues
relating to the ‘War on Terror’.
Linda Melvern
Linda Melvern is the second Vice President of the International
Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the pre-eminent group of
independent scholars specialising in the area of research. IAGS has been in
the forefront of combating the denial of the Armenian Genocide including
writing an open letter to the Turkish Prime Minister. She is an Honorary
Professor in the Department of International Politics, University of Wales,
Aberystwyth, and her most recent published work is the Conspiracy to Murder.
The Rwandan Genocide.
Margaret Brearley
Margaret Brearley has been a Lecturer in Mediaeval and Renaissance
German Literature at Birmingham University and Honorary Holocaust Adviser to
the Archbishops’ Council, and held academic posts at Selly Oak Colleges and
the Institute of Jewish Affairs, London. She is currently on the National
Executive of WIZO. She has published The Forgotten Genocide that uncovers
the links between the Armenian Genocide, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.
Professor Theo Van Lint of Oxford University
Theo van Lint is the Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies
at Oxford University. He has extensive interests over many years in
Armenian culture, language and history, and chairs the London based Armenian
Institute.
Farhad Malekian, Director of The Institute of International Criminal Law,
Uppsala ,Sweden
Farhad Malekian is the founder and the director of the Institute of
International Criminal Law in Uppsala, Sweden. Malekian has contributed a
scholarly acknowledged chapter governing International Criminal
Responsibility of Individuals and States to the well-known book on
International Criminal Law (M. Cherif Bassiouni, 1999). He introduced for
the first time the Principle of International Tribunality of Jurisdiction in
international criminal law at the Cornell Law School, Cornell University in
2005, embodied in his article on `Emasculating the Philosophy of
International Criminal Justice in the Iraqi Special Tribunal’ He lectures
international criminal law and public international law and is also the
editor of the Contemporary Journal of International Criminal Law to be
published by the Institute of International Criminal Law in 2005. His work
on Crucifying the Philosophy of International Criminal Justice is also
forthcoming. His lecture is part of a panel considering War Crimes, Crimes
Against Humanity, and Resolution.
Written Evidence
Dr Mark Levene of Southampton University
Prof Martin Shaw of Sussex University
Prof Donald Bloxham of Edinburgh University
Statement from the International Association of Genocide Scholars
Compilation of Evidence in the book "Remember" by John Torosyan,
Cardiff, as presented to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
List of Armenian Genocide references