CHAMBER OF LAWYERS OF ARMENIA GIVES ITS LEGAL EVALUATION OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S REPORT OF APRIL 24, 2009

ArmInfo
2010-03-04 09:43:00

ArmInfo. The Council of the Chamber of Lawyers of Armenia made a
statement with legal evaluation of US President Obama’s Report of April
24, 2009. The statement says, in particular: In view of US President
Barack Obama’s Report of April 24, 2009, and the forthcoming voting
on the Armenian Genocide Resolution in US Congress, the Council of
the Chamber of Lawyers of Armenia tates the following:

In the final part of the Report, just after using the "Mets Yeghern"
term the second time, President Obama unambiguously claimed that an
attempt was made to destroy the Armenian people: "Nothing can bring
back those who were lost in the Meds Yeghern. But the contributions
that Armenians have made over the last ninety- four years stand as
a testament to the talent, dynamism and resilience of the Armenian
people, and as the ultimate rebuke to those who tried to destroy them".

According to the Armenian lawyers, it is necessary to fully extirpate
a false understanding being periodically exaggerated in the world
community as if B. Obama did not recognize the Armenian Genocide,
as the term "genocide" was not pronounced. Hereby, the Council of
the Chamber of Lawyers of Armenia gives its legal evaluation of the
President Obama’s Report: The term "genocide" is relatively new. It
was first defined by a Polish lawyer of Jewish origin Rafael Lemkin in
1994. Before that, every people, who suffered a genocide, determined
it in its own way. So, the Jewish people called it "Holocaust" and we,
Armenians, – "Mets Yeghern".

Article 2 of the United Nations Convention On Prevention and Punishment
of the Crime of Genocide, which was adopted in 1948 and took effect
in 1951, defines a genocide as "any action committed with an intention
to destroy any national, ethnic, racial or religious group completely
or partially".

President Obama used a long-present term "Mets Yeghern", which is a
synonym of a modern term "genocide". The term "Mets Yeghern" was used
twice and was qualified as an attempt of destruction of the Armenian
people. Apparently, the term "Mets Yeghern" was used by President
Obama just in a sense the Armenians use. The terms "Mets Yeghern",
"Hayots Tseghaspanutyun" and "Armenian Genocide" have always been
identical. From a legal viewpoint, President Obama described just
a genocide, since an attempt of destroying a people is a genocide,
by definition.

Although Obama-politician did not use the term "genocide",
Obama-lawyer, a graduate from the Columbian University and Harvard Law
School recognized the Armenian Genocide quite definitely. On behalf
of the Chamber of Lawyers of Armenia, we express our gratitude to
President Obama for his Report of historical importance. Taking into
account the significance of international recognition of the genocide
for prevention of a crime of genocide, we think the time has come to
call a spade a spade and condemn the "Mets Yeghern", and qualify it
as a genocide. In view of this, we highly appreciate the initiative
by US Congress and call on to adopt the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
the statement of the Council of the Chamber of Lawyers of Armenia says.