If there is an [Armenian Genocide] denier in the Humanist Democratic Centre, he/she will be immediately expelled, Benoît Lutgen, President of Belgium’s Humanist Democratic Centre said, referring to the scandalous statement by the Brussels MP Ahmed El Khannouss on the Armenian Genocide.

According to RTBF, the leader made it very clear that the deniers have no place in the party, since this contradicts the party’s Code of Ethics. “If there is a denier in the Humanist Democratic Centre, he/she will be immediately expelled. And I’ll tell you why: when I became a President, I asked each candidate to acknowledge all the genocides, including the Armenian Genocide. This is a written commitment, which is stipulated by our Code of Ethics in line with other obligations and rules of conduct,” Benoît Lutgen said.

Earlier, MP Ahmed El Khannouss from the Belgian capital city of Brussels had made a controversial statement in connection with the Armenian Genocide, consequently finding himself in the center of a debate. El Khannouss had recently written on Facebook about not recognizing the Armenian Genocide. His comment sparked a lot of criticism and some even accused the Brussels MP of denialism. In response, El Khannouss said he was misunderstood: “I have always been clear about the Armenian Genocide, which I acknowledge. I think there’s no need to argue over these historic sufferings.”