Catholicos Condemns European Court Ruling on Genocide

His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, has written a letter to Swiss President Didier Burkhalter condemning the recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, which struck down a Swiss law against Armenian Genocide denial.

 In his letter, His Holiness noted that the court’s decision threatens to thwart efforts to seek justice for crimes against humanity and undermines peaceful dialogue among nations. He went on to urge the Swiss government to appeal the ruling.  

The Catholicos also addressed a letter to the Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, in which he encouraged WCC members to condemn the ruling and to press for an appeal. A third letter was dispatched to Bishop Markus Büchel, president of the Conference of Bishops of Switzerland.

According to the December 2013 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, it is not a criminal offense to deny that the events of 1915 constitute a genocide, and thus the Swiss law against Armenian Genocide denial violates freedom of expression. Switzerland has until mid-March to file an appeal. Click here to read an official summary of the court’s decision.

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