IRI MAJLIS MP OF ARMENIAN ORIGIN CALLS ON IRANIAN AUTHORITIES TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

17:41 21/04/2015 >> REGION

The Armenians of Iran call on the Iranian authorities to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, said the IRI Majlis MP of Armenian origin,
Karen Khanlaryan, according to the Iranian news agency IRIB.

During his speech in Majlis, the Armenian MP referred to the policy of
denial that Turkey conducts regarding the Armenian Genocide. “Turkey
has committed genocide against Kurds and Muslim Alevis over the past
years. Today Iran is one of those few countries in the region, where
no massacre or encroachment has been committed. Various ethnic groups
and religious minorities live peacefully in this country,” he said.

Karen Khanlaryan also spoke about the Centennial of the Armenian
Genocide and presented the demands of the Iranian Armenian community
adding that the Armenians of Iran call on the Iranian authorities to
officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Earlier, the IRI Majlis Iranian-Armenian MP told the Iranian
information agency ISNA that the most important objective of the
Armenian community in Iran is the issue of the Armenian Genocide. He
said that 40 per cent of the Iranian Armenians are the descendants
of the Genocide victims.

As regards the number of the adherents of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, he said, “98-99 per cent of the Iranian Armenians are adherents
of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and 1-2 percent are Catholic and
Protestant Churches’ adherents. Today, 13-14 million Armenians live
all over the world, including the population of Armenia. There are
about 100 thousand adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Iran.”

The Armenian Apostolic Church in Iran comprises three dioceses:
those of Atrpatakan, Tehran and Isfahan. The interests of the
Iranian Armenians in the IRI Majlis are represented by two MPs –
Karen Khanlaryan and Robert Beglaryan.

Related:

Iranian Turkic-speaking Azaris condemn Turkish government for not
recognizing Armenian Genocide

Iranian-Armenian students send open letter to Hassan Rouhani urging
to recognize Armenian Genocide