ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION IN SWEDISH RIKSDAG

24 April, 2018

On April 24, Armenian Genocide commemoration event was held at the Swedish Riksdag, with the initiative and participation of deputies from all the parties represented at the Swedish Parliament.

On behalf of the Speaker of Riksdag, Vice Speaker Björn Söder welcomed the participants and stressed the importance of the Genocide commemoration in terms of preventing such crimes against humanity.

The main speaker of the event, well-known Turkish historian and academician, leading genocide scholar Taner Akcam addressed the roots of Turkish denial. "The past is still present" he said, emphasizing the need for the Turkish state to abandon its denialist policy in the interest of the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation and the respect for minority rights. He also stressed the importance of unconditional recognition of the Genocide both by Turkey and the international community, particularly by European states as a prerequisite for establishment of a peaceful coexistence in Turkey and in the entire Middle East region.

The other speaker, well-known Swedish professor of international law Ove Bring exposed the falsifications of Turkish propaganda as if there is no consensus among historians on the issue of the Armenian Genocide, as well as if for recognition of the genocide the decision of the international judicial authorities is essential. He mentioned with regret that some governments and parliaments are concede to these false convictions.

On behalf of the organizers of the event, parliamentarians Robert Halef and Fredrik Malm, as well as representative of the Federation of Armenian Organizations in Sweden Vahagn Avedian also took the floor, condemning ethnic cleansings of Armenian and other Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire. Swedish-Armenian Haykani trio performed Armenian spiritual music.

The solemn ceremony was attended by more than two dozen of ambassadors, numerous of parliamentarians and public figures. It should be noted, that for the first time in Swedish history, the event was sponsored by the members of the parliamentary parties who in 2010 voted against the adoption of the resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide.

On April 22-24, various Armenian organizations in Sweden organized Genocide commemoration solemn ceremonies, rallies and prayer services in many cities of Sweden - Stockholm, Södertälje, Örebro et cetera.

The video of the commemoration event you can watch through the link

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