GIRO MANOYAN: AUGUST 20 JUDGEMENT OF APPEAL COURT OF CALIFORNIA WILL BE USED BY TURKISH CIRCLES

Noyan Tapan
Aug 27, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The August 20 judgement of the Appeal
Court of California will be used by Turkish circles for considering
invalid, anti-constitutional by the court judgement recognitions of
the Armenian Genocide by all other states of U.S. Giro Manoyan, the
Director of the International Secretariate (Central Hai Dat Office)
of ARFD Bureau in Yerevan, expressed such an opinion at an August
27 press conference adding that on the basis of this judgement even
U.S. Congress can be prohibited to adopt a resolution on recognition
of the Genocide.

K. Manoyan mentioned that as far back as in 2000 the state parliament
of California adopted a law, according to which the heirs of the
1915 Genocide victims can submit a lawsuit to insurance companies
by 2010 and receive a compensation. Lawsuits were submitted against
the New York Life Insurance company, which gave a compensation of
20m dollars and against the French AXA, which paid 17m dollars. A
lawsuit was also submitted against a German company. However, the
latter applied to the court with the demand to recognize that law
as anticonstitutional. The lawsuit was dismissed, after which it
was appealed against at the Appeal Court in 2008 December. Thus,
on August 20, two of three judges examining the lawsuit pronounced
a judgement in favor of the German company.

In G. Manoyan’s words, according to the judgement, the state parliament
of California surpassed its powers. That is, according to the U.S.

Constitution, it is country’s President who carries on the foreign
policy.

The U.S. has not recognized the Armenian Genocide and the President
has not pronounced the word "genocide," while the word combination
"Armenian Genocide" is mentioned in the decision of the parliament
of California.

In G. Manoyan’s opinion, the judgement of the Appeal Court is
unintelligible and is based on suppositions. That is, the two judges
supposed that unless the U.S. President has pronounced the word
"genocide," with this he prohibits the states to make such decisions.

In G. Manoyan’s evaluation, lawyers representing the Armenian side
displayed unconscientiousness in the issue of properly presenting
the fact. He said that ANCA has already started undertaking some
steps. In particular, they have sent a letter to U.S. President
Barack Obama. In his words, President Obama should clarify that to
avoid using the word "genocide" does not mean to prohibit any state
to recognize the Armenian Genocide.