Greg Sarkissian, President of the Zoryan Institute, has responded to the statement by the Lemkin Institute accusing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of denying the Armenian Genocide. In his response, Sarkissian pointed out that the Lemkin Institute’s criticism was surprising, unnecessary, and irresponsible. He emphasized that the article does not reflect the official position of the Zoryan Institute and expressed gratitude for the work done by the Lemkin Institute in genocide studies.
Sarkissian defended Pashinyan’s acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide in his message on the 109th anniversary. He highlighted Pashinyan’s efforts to address the intergenerational trauma caused by the genocide and underscored the importance of discussing ways to prevent such atrocities in the future.
While the Lemkin Institute raised concerns about Pashinyan’s engagement with genocide denial, Sarkissian argued that the Prime Minister’s message did not diverge from the principles of genocide prevention. He called for a public apology from the Lemkin Institute for misinterpreting Pashinyan’s remarks and politicizing the issue.