Truth Takes Courage: The Ongoing Struggle for Recognition of the Armenian Genocide

Psychologist Ervin Staub elaborating on the importance of recognition of the Armenian Genocide notes that:

"The intense need of the Armenians as individuals and as a community to have the genocide be acknowledged and known by the world teaches us something about ourselves as human beings.

First, our identities are rooted not only in our group but in the history of our group. For a complete identity, we must be integrated not only with our individual past, but also with our groups’ past. Perhaps, this becomes especially important when our group is partly destroyed and dispersed; our families and ourselves have been deeply affected; and in a physical sense we have at best fragments of our group.

Second, we have a profound need for our pain and suffering, especially when it is born of injustice, to be acknowledged, known and respected."

The Armenian Genocide was a systematic extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people. Despite overwhelming evidence of the atrocities committed, the Turkish government has not officially recognized the genocide, causing ongoing controversy and pain for Armenians worldwide. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of recognizing genocide and the specific significance of recognition for the Armenian Genocide. We will examine the entities involved in genocide recognition and the implications of recognition for both victims and perpetrators. Finally, we will discuss the ongoing struggle for recognition of the Armenian Genocide and its broader implications for human rights and justice.

The term genocide is very specific; not all atrocities can be classified as genocide. The reason why some situations are labeled as genocide is that for many people around the world, genocide is seen as the worst crime. As Eyal Mayroz points out, that is because atrocity victims/survivors sometimes feel that only the "G" label can capture and bestow public recognition of their personal tragedies, even though other atrocity crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity are just as serious. Nonetheless, recognizing genocide when it occurs is important because it brings political and legal consequences.

Who Recognizes Genocide?

The recognition or categorization of an atrocity as genocide can be accomplished by various bodies, including states (by a head of state, executive member, or parliament), domestic or international courts (in their rulings), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) conducting investigations and analyses, and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) like the UN (through fact-finding missions or Special Rapporteurs).

Courts and Organizations

NGOs and IGOs play a significant role in genocide recognition, which typically involves verifying the facts, observing the situation on the ground, reporting on the situation, advocating for victims and survivors, and calling for accountability of perpetrators, whether they are states or individuals. In some cases, NGOs and IGOs may not explicitly label a situation as genocide but rather suggest that it could potentially constitute genocide.

Courts face the task of determining whether an atrocity situation meets the legal requirements for genocide, based on the presented evidence. They follow strict standards for what constitutes genocide, placing great emphasis on the physical destruction of the targeted group. If a court finds that an atrocity situation amounts to genocide, it is the most powerful recognition of the application of this crime label. This is due to the rigorous examination of circumstances that is necessary for the court to reach a conclusion, as well as the high threshold that must be met.

State Recognition

In general, states are hesitant to acknowledge an event as genocide because doing so can trigger obligations under the Genocide Convention. These obligations not only apply to the state responsible for committing the genocide but also to all states that are parties to the convention. The obligations include the responsibility to prevent and punish acts of genocide.

In the Bosnia and Herzegovina v Serbia and Montenegro case, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) affirmed that state parties to the Genocide Convention have a direct obligation to prevent genocide. According to the ICJ, these states are required to use all available means to prevent genocide, even if their actions are not successful. This obligation to act, however, may require significant resources and personnel, which can make states hesitant to recognize the genocide and trigger such obligations.

It is not common for states to acknowledge genocides due to the legal obligations it imposes on them. Therefore, when a state does recognize genocide, it holds great significance. Despite being a prime example of the most heinous crimes against humanity, the Armenian Genocide is still not acknowledged by many states.

It is important to note the potential for prevention that comes with recognizing genocide. For instance, there are allegations that the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine may amount to or risk genocide. Despite the United States generally being hesitant to make determinations of genocide, in April 2022, US President Joe Biden referred to the Russian atrocities as genocide. While this was an informal comment and did not constitute formal government recognition, it is significant that he made such a statement.

In the Bosnia v Serbia case, the ICJ emphasized that the obligation of a state to prevent genocide arises as soon as the state becomes aware of the existence of a serious risk that genocide will be committed. Therefore, if genocide were to be recognized as occurring in Ukraine, or even if there was a serious risk of genocide, states would be obligated to act under the Genocide Convention.

On 24 April 2021, Joe Biden made a historic announcement, recognizing the mass killing and deportation of approximately one and a half million Armenians in Turkey in 1915 as Genocide. This declaration corrected a long-standing omission by previous U.S. administrations to acknowledge the atrocities committed against the Armenian people as genocide. President Biden's statement reiterated the United States' commitment to preventing future genocides and mass atrocities.

Indeed, Biden's statement on the Armenian Genocide can be seen as a significant step in reaffirming the United States' commitment to promoting human rights and preventing atrocities around the world. Many believe that by acknowledging the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide, Biden's statement sends a powerful message that the US government will not shy away from confronting the atrocities committed by its allies or partners and that it takes seriously its obligation to prevent and respond to mass atrocities.

This recognition also provides a sense of closure for the Armenian community and acknowledges their pain and suffering, which can help pave the way for collective healing and reconciliation. Overall, Biden's statement on the Armenian Genocide underscores the importance of recognizing and preventing genocide and mass atrocities in shaping US foreign policy.

While Biden's recognition of the Armenian Genocide represents an important step forward in acknowledging historical wrongs and committing to preventing future atrocities, the success of this policy will ultimately depend on the actions taken by the U.S. government to prevent and respond to future instances of mass atrocities. It remains to be seen how this commitment will be translated into concrete policy measures.

Ten Stages of Genocide

Genocide scholar Gregory Stanton introduced the ten stages of genocide in 1996, which includes denial as the final stage. This document was initially created in 1996 as the “Eight Stages of Genocide” and was presented at Yale University Center for International and Area Studies in 1998. The document was revised in 2013.

While "extermination" is one of the stages in his framework, it is not the last one, as some might assume. This emphasizes the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the immense violence and losses experienced by Armenians. Without recognition, the process of extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire that began in late 1914 continues in non-physical forms.

When a group's experience of violence and loss is repeatedly denied, it can have lasting and damaging effects. The denial of the Armenian Genocide is an example of this, as it undermines the recognition of the profound losses suffered by the Armenian people. This denial denies their humanity as a people and hinders the possibility of collective healing. Without recognition, the chance for healing continues to recede into the distance.

Understanding these stages helps people recognize warning signs and intervene to prevent genocide from occurring. We will provide evidence that demonstrates how the Armenian Genocide aligns with all these stages.

1. Classification

Categorization of people into "us and them" by ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality is a common trait in all cultures. The earliest stage of the genocidal process is the development of prejudice and discrimination.

Armenian culture has been greatly influenced by its early Christian identity, which distinguishes it from many of its neighboring peoples.

2. Symbolization

Societies use categories like ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality to distinguish people as "us and them." This process of classification is not necessarily harmful, but it can lead to dehumanization when combined with hatred.

Armenians were easily recognized because they did not dress like Turks, resided in distinct areas, and regularly attended church.

3. Discrimination

The dominant group uses its legal and political power to restrict the rights of other groups. These groups may be denied citizenship or full civil rights.

Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were considered inferior to other citizens and, despite being allowed to practice their religion, were subject to additional taxes and discriminatory laws.

4. Dehumanization

Dehumanization occurs when a group is treated as inferior or not fully human. Members of a persecuted group may be compared with animals, parasites, insects, or diseases. This makes it easier for the dominant group to harm or kill them.

The Ottoman government fueled the hatred against Armenian using Russia’s subtle advocacy for Armenian autonomy.

5. Organization

Genocide is typically organized, with the state being the main perpetrator, although it can also be carried out by non-state actors such as terrorist groups. Often, special military or militia units are trained and equipped to carry out the killings, and detailed plans are made for the genocidal campaign.

In the spring of 1915, the ruling party of the Ottoman Empire, the CUP, took advantage of the distraction caused by the ongoing World War I to eliminate the Armenian population.

6. Polarization

The extremists in society work to create division between groups, often through the dissemination of propaganda that reinforces stereotypes and fuels hatred.

After the Adana Massacre a nationalist political movement advocating for Pan-Turkism, gained support from Turkish communities throughout the Ottoman Empire.

7. Preparation

The leaders of the national or perpetrator group devise a plan to eliminate the targeted group, often using coded language to disguise their true intentions, such as calling it "ethnic cleansing," "purification," or "counterterrorism."

On 24 April 1915, Armenian leaders, intellectuals, businessmen, and artists were targeted and killed, which paved the way for the genocide plan to be executed throughout the Ottoman Empire.

8. Persecution

Victims are targeted and separated from the rest of society based on their ethnicity or religion. The perpetrators create lists of those to be targeted for extermination. Victims may also be forcibly relocated to ghettos or concentration camps or left to die of starvation in famine-stricken areas.

The CUP leaders ordered to deport Armenians to the Syrian Desert. Due to a lack of food and supplies, deportees had little chance of surviving the journey.

9. Extermination

The mass killing phase of genocide begins and is rapidly carried out, which is legally defined as "genocide". When a government sponsors the genocide, the military frequently collaborates with private armies to conduct the killings.

Tens of thousands perished, and their bodies were left in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, contaminating the water supply for those who were still alive. Those who reached the concentration camps were subjected to torture, starvation, and disease.

10. Denial

This stage is a strong indication that further genocidal massacres may occur. The perpetrators of genocide often try to hide the evidence of their crimes by digging up mass graves, and intimidating witnesses.

The Turkish government has taken various measures to prevent the recognition and education of the Armenian Genocide, including the passing of Article 305 in 2004.

The Ottoman government systematically dehumanized and discriminated against the Armenian population, culminating in their extermination through mass killings, death marches, and concentration camps. Furthermore, the denial of this genocide by the Turkish government and the passage of laws criminalizing its discussion demonstrates the importance of recognition for justice, restitution, and the prevention of future crimes against humanity. Consequently, recognition is imperative for ensuring accountability for the perpetrators and providing closure for the victims and their descendants.

Recognition as reparation

Public awareness of the Armenian Genocide started in the 1960s. The first reference to Genocide in an international document is found in the 1973 intermediary report of the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. Due to the politically charged nature of including and later deleting a reference to the Armenian Genocide, in conjunction with the debates that resulted from the report, the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights did not undertake another study on genocide until the 1980s. In 1985, the UN Sub-Commission recognized the acts committed against the Armenians as genocide.

Domestic efforts for recognition started with French President François Mitterand publicly recognizing the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide in 1984. In 1999, France adopted a law recognizing the acts as genocide. In 1987, the European Parliament declared that Turkey could not join the European Community unless it recognized its responsibility for the genocide.

On 29 May 1998, the lower house of the French Parliament, known as the National Assembly, approved a legislative act acknowledging the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Just under two years later, on 7 November 2000, the Senate also approved the bill recognizing the genocide. Finally, on 29 January 2001, President Jacques Chirac signed the bill into law as loi 2001-70.

Courts can play an active role in combatting genocide denial in jurisdictions where it is considered a criminal offense. In Europe, the prohibition of genocide denial through criminalization is utilized to prevent speech that promotes racism, xenophobia, and ethnic intolerance. Additionally, denial of genocide is seen as an invalid form of historical revisionism because it disregards or significantly downplays a severe international crime.

In 2012, the French Parliament passed a bill making it a criminal offense to deny genocides recognized by France, which includes the Armenian Genocide. However, the Constitutional Court declared the proposed legislation unconstitutional on February 28, 2012, stating that it violated freedom of expression and ignored the principle of equality by differentiating between recognized genocides and others. Although there is no explicit law criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, a French court has still condemned statements denying its occurrence.

The US Genocide Prevention Paradigm

Furthermore, acknowledging the Armenian Genocide highlights the critical connection between preventing and responding to mass atrocities and a U.S. foreign policy focused on the protection of human rights, which is a fundamental priority of the current Biden administration. Mass atrocities, which involve systematic and widespread violence against civilian populations, are among the most severe violations of human rights. These acts can occur in both conflict and non-conflict settings and are a persistent global concern.

Atrocities are not sudden or random incidents but rather occur after a period of discriminatory actions, large-scale human rights violations, and sporadic violence against targeted groups that share a common identity, such as race, ethnicity, religion, or social status. The aftermath of atrocities is not marked by the end of violence, as the underlying conditions that allowed such acts to take place often continue.

Preventing atrocities from happening again requires holding perpetrators accountable, providing reparations to victims, implementing institutional reforms to better protect the rights of victim communities, and promoting reconciliation among affected communities to mend the social fabric of the affected society.

The 2008 Genocide Prevention Task Force report laid out a plan for U.S. prevention policy, which was solidified by the Obama Administration’s Presidential Study Directive on Mass Atrocities.

There is room for greater utilization of existing tools such as the Atrocity Early Warning Task Force. This would further support the Biden administration's commitment to a foreign policy focused on human rights and its obligation to prevent future atrocities, including those committed against the Armenians.

The Smoking Barrel

In the aftermath of the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the latter has created a "park of trophies" and its President was seen among the helmets of slain Armenian soldiers. Turkey staunchly supported Azerbaijan in the conflict. In September 2022, Azerbaijan launched another attack on Armenia, committing numerous war crimes. As of December 2022, Azerbaijan has blocked the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh, leaving over 120,000 Armenians in total blockade. Despite an ICJ order in February 2023 to open the road and ensure its unrestricted operation, Azerbaijan continues to disregard its international obligations and has even set up checkpoints on the Lachin corridor. It is impossible to process these events without acknowledging the past.

The continuation of the Genocide and its plan is evident from recent events, such as Azerbaijan's aggressive and criminal policy against Armenia. It is crucial for the international community to recognize and condemn the Genocide to effectively stop the perpetrators. Until then, it is unlikely that the atrocities will cease.

Recognizing the Armenian Genocide is not only a matter of historical justice but also a groundbreaking step in preventing future atrocities. The failure to acknowledge past atrocities and hold perpetrators accountable only emboldens future culprits. As the world continues to grapple with ongoing atrocities, it is vital that we confront the past and honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Only then can we truly commit to preventing such atrocities from ever happening again and uphold the promise of "never again."