WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commends the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the resolution to officially recognize and commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

USCIRF Commissioner Kristina Arriaga said, “We welcome Congress’s recognition as genocide the terrible atrocities that the Ottoman Empire perpetrated against Armenians and other religious and ethnic minorities during its final years – a recognition both much-needed and long in the making. This congressional resolution serves as a crucial and meaningful step toward honoring the memory of the victims and helping to bear the burden and solemn duty of remembrance, borne so long by survivors and their descendants.” 

“This recognition also serves as an important reminder that such atrocities are not limited to the distant past,” added Commissioner Anurima Bhargava.

She added that the United States and its international partners must take every opportunity to unflinchingly stand against such atrocities wherever and whenever they occur and seek to ensure justice for their victims.