YEREVAN. – On Sunday morning, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and First Lady Rita Sargsyan visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in capital city Yerevan, and paid tribute to the victims of the genocide in 1915 (PHOTOS).
Also, the President laid a wreath at the monument.
Sargsyan was accompanied by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II; world-renowned French Armenian singer, songwriter, actor, public activist, and diplomat Charles Aznavour (born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian); famous actor, filmmaker, philanthropist and humanitarian George Clooney; and participants in the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.
Clooney placed flowers at the monument.
The Catholicos, together with other clergy, recited the Lord’s Prayer.
Thousands of people—including members of the diplomatic corps, diaspora Armenians, guests and local residents—are visiting the Armenian Genocide Memorial since early morning.
On Sunday, April 24, 2016, Armenians throughout the world and advanced humanity commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; the first genocide of the 20th century.
During the First World War, the Turkish authorities accused Armenians of sympathizing with Russia and used this as a pretext to declare the entire Armenian population their enemy. Under the order of the Ottoman rulers, the mass deportation and massacre of Armenians commenced on this day in 1915.
The subsequent events that occurred until 1923 are considered by many historians as a state-backed mass murder - genocide. The death toll of this tragedy exceeds 1.5 million people; the half of all Armenians at the turn of the last century.
The Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire is formally recognized by numerous countries including Russia, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Sweden, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, and most US states. But it was first acknowledged in 1965 by Uruguay. This calamity is also recognized by the Vatican, the European Parliament, and the World Council of Churches.
