YEREVAN. – Armenian parliament's standing committee on European integration unanimously approved a draft statement condemning genocide against Yezidis committed on the territories occupied by the Islamic State.

Head of the committee Naira Zohrabyan said the discussion is extremely important.

Speaking during the meeting, MP from ruling party Rustam Mahmudov, who is an ethnic Yezidi, said it is important to point the date when the crime was committed and to ask Iraq to show understanding in connection with the adoption of the statement on the background of full respect for the sovereignty of this state. He stressed that the crimes committed in Iraq by ISIS terrorists against Yezidis were nothing but a direct manifestation of genocidal actions.

Naira Zohrabyan noted that, according to international conventions, genocide is considered an action aimed at the physical destruction of members of a particular ethnic group, race or religious group as a result of religious, racial or ethnic intolerance. In her opinion, the actions committed against representatives of the Yezidi nationality is within the definition of genocide.

The same draft was earlier approved by the standing committee on foreign affairs.