The Cypriot parliament’s adoption of the bill on criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial proves yet again that the fight against genocide denial is gaining a new momentum.

National Assembly (NA) Vice President and ruling Republican Party of Armenia Spokesperson Eduard Sharmazanov, who is in Cyprus as part of a visiting NA delegation, expressed such a view speaking to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“It is an unprecedented success; it is the success of Armenian diplomacy because the bill passed unanimously by the parliament of Cyprus,” Sharmazanov said, and added: “It did that ahead of the Armenian Genocide Centennial.”

In his words, the Armenian fight for claimancy does not end, but rather gains a new momentum on April 24, the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“We also met a few minutes ago with the President of Cyprus, who congratulated on the adoption of the decision,” the NA deputy speaker added.

Pursuant to this bill, which has now become a law, the genocide deniers in Cyprus will be sentenced to five years in prison, and pay a fine of ten thousand euros.

Cyprus has become the fourth European country—after Greece, Slovakia, and Switzerland—to criminalize the denial of Armenian Genocide.