28 Countries That Recognize The Armenian Genocide

Even though there are 28 countries that recognize the Armenian genocide, there are still some countries that don’t recognize the death of millions of Armenians as a genocide. However, over the past few decades, many countries started recognizing the genocide such as the ones in our list of 28 countries that recognize the Armenian genocide. 

Growing up in Brazil, a country that only recently recognized the Armenian genocide, most of my friends in High School were Armenia’s descendants from a very close-knit community with very strong social, religious and cultural ties. Their grandparents had immigrated to Brazil during the Armenian genocide, and they always talked about their suffering and the injustice committed against the Armenians. Sometimes I still see their posts on Facebook especially around April 24, when Armenians around the world commemorate the anniversary victims of the Armenian Genocide.

According to 1915 Genocide, the Armenian genocide is also known as the Armenian Holocaust and it was the Ottoman government’s systematic annihilation and extermination of 1.5 million Armenians, most of them, citizens of the Ottoman Empire and its inheritor, the Republic of Turkey.

The genocide began on April 24, 1915, when the Turkish government arrested and deported many Armenian intellectuals, who later lost their lives. In early 1915, 200,000 Armenian soldiers were disarmed, abused and later killed. Later women, old people, and children were gathered in town churches when they were burned alive. 

The ordinary Armenians were also turned out of their homes and send to death march through the Syrian desert. They were naked, hungry and thirsty forced to march on the fiery sun until they die, and those who stop for rest were shot.

Recently, while watching the destruction of Aleppo by the Syrian government on TV, it reminded me of the Armenians who died in the beginning of the 20th century. “The city of Aleppo constituted a major hub for deportation routes during the Armenian Genocide. Convoys that survived the treacherous journey began to reach the area in May 1915″, and in 1923 the genocide finally ended.

It can be said that religion also played a huge role in this terrible genocide, but we can’t say it was the main reason. They wanted to make “Turkey for Turks” and even though the reason was ultra-nationalistic, they used religion as an excuse for it and to justify their actions. But Armenian was not the only race to suffer from genocide and here is a list of  11 Biggest Genocides in History.

Today, there a lot of famous celebrities from Armenia and the reality show stars, the Kardashians are among them. A while ago, a story popped up on the internet saying that their ancestors escaped from Armenia to America because a prophet warned them. A hundred years later, the Kardashians became one of the most influential families in America, and in 2015, they decided to visit Armenia for the first time for the hundredth anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

There are still a lot of countries that need to recognize this horrible mass killing of innocent people, but there also already 28 countries that recognize the Armenian genocide. So, using facts from Armenian-Genocide,  we created this list sorted it out by the year a specific country recognized the Armenian genocide. There is a total of 28 countries which have recognized the mass killing of 1.5 million people more than 100 years ago.

 

28. Uruguay

Uruguay recognized the Armenian genocide in 1965. It was the first country to recognize the mass murder that happened in 1915 in Armenia as genocide. Today, there are about 19,000 Armenians living in Uruguay and they belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. This church also has a memorial statue dedicated to the victims of the Armenian genocide.

 

27. Cyprus

On January 25, 1965, Cyprus officially recognized the Armenian genocide. Today, Armenians who live in Cyprus are recognized as a minority and they have their own language, schools as well as churches. There are around 3,500 Armenians on the island.

 

26. Argentina

On May 5, 1993, Argentina recognized the mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. Today there are between 70,000 and 135,000 Armenians living in Argentina. They speak Spanish while the minority speaks Armenian as the first language.

 

25. Russia

Russia is one of the leading countries in the world and they recognized the mass murder of Armenians as genocide in 1995. There are more than 1,200,000 Armenians living in Russia and it is believed that the number today is more than 2 million. Armenians in Russia speak both, Russian and Armenian, languages. 

 

24. Greece

Per 2004 act, the denial of the genocide is criminalized and is punishable with 3 years of jail time and 30k Euros. Greece recognized the genocide in 1996 and there are more than 400,000 Armenians living there. Armenians who live in Greece speak their language and their native language as well.

 

23. Canada

Canada is also one of the world’s leading countries and it means a lot,  that a country like Canada recognized the Armenian genocide back in 1996. Today there are approximately 100,000 Armenians who settled in Canada and they are also speaking their native language, Canadian, English and Canadian French as well.

 

22. Lebanon

In 1997 Lebanon took a huge step in order to honor the Armenian people who were slaughtered, by recognizing the act as genocide. Today, Armenians are making more than 4% of the total Lebanon population with more than 160,000 people. They speak Armenian and Arabic and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church.

 

21. France

In France, the denial of the genocide is considered a crime. If you deny the genocide you will pay 45,000 Euros fine and you will serve one year prison time. France recognized the Armenian genocide in 1998 and there are around 750,000 Armenians living there.

 

20. Belgium

Belgium also recognized the Armenian genocide in 1998 and today there are around 30,000 Armenian people living there. They speak Armenian as their first language and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church.

 

19. Italy

17 years ago, in 2000, Italy recognized the mass murder of the Armenian population as the Armenian genocide. Today, the total Armenian population living in Italy is around 4,000. Armenians in Italy speak both Armenian and Italian and mainly belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. 

 

18. Switzerland

In 2003 Switzerland, that ranked 18th on our list of countries that recognize the Armenian genocide, officially recognized the Armenian genocide and since then they are considering the denial of the genocide as a crime. Those who deny it will have to serve prison time and pay a fine. It is estimated that around 5,000 Armenians live in Switzerland and they mostly belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church.

 

17. Slovakia

Slovakia recognized the Armenian genocide in 2004. The number of Armenians living in Slovakia is still unknown but it is believed that there aren’t many.

 

16. Netherlands

The Netherlands also recognized the Armenian genocide in 2004. Even though the exact number is still unknown, there are approximately 9,000 Armenians living in Netherlands. They are talking many languages, but they kept Armenian as their first language. They belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church.

 

15. Germany

The number 15 on our list of countries that recognize the Armenian genocide, Germany, officially recognized the Armenian genocide in 2005. Today there are around 100,000 Armenians living in Germany, And even though most of them speak German, the majority kept Armenian as their first language.

 

14. Lithuania

In 2005 Lithuania also recognized the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. There aren’t many Armenians living in Lithuania, the number is estimated at less than 3,000, but those who live there speak Armenian, Lithuanian and Russian. 

 

13. Poland

In 2005 Poland recognized the Armenian genocide and the Vice-President of European Parliament, Mr. Ryszard Czarnecki said he is very proud of that. Currently, there are more than 3,000 self-identifying Armenians in Poland.

 

12. Vatican City

We are continuing our list of countries that recognize the Armenian genocide with Vatican City that also recognized the Armenian genocide in 2005. The number of Armenians who live in there is still unknown as well as the language they speak.  

 

11. Venezuela

Back in 2005, Venezuela also recognized the Armenian genocide. The number of Armenians in Venezuela is still unknown but it is believed that there are more than 3,500. Also, the Armenians in Venezuela kept Armenian as their first language.

 

10. Chile

In 2007, Chile officially recognized the Armenian genocide. There are 1,100 Armenians in Chile of which 90% are Christians, and about 4% are evangelicals. They also kept their Armenian as their first language.

 

9. Sweden

7 years ago, in 2010 Sweden recognized the Armenian genocide, and now there are around 13,000 Armenians living there. Armenians in Sweden speaks Armenian, Sweden, Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, and Russian.

 

8. Bolivia

Recently, Bolivia also became one of the 28 countries that recognize the Armenian genocide. In 2014 Bolivia recognized the Armenian mass murder as genocide but the number of Armenians who live in Bolivia is still unknown.

 

7. Brazil

In 2015, Brazil officially crossed to the other side and stood among countries that recognize the Armenian genocide. It is believed that there are now more than 40,000 Armenians living in Brazil and they speak Portuguese and Armenian.

 

6. Bulgaria

In 2015 Bulgaria also recognized the mass murder of 1.5 million innocent Armenians as genocide. On 24 April 2015, the Bulgarian parliament declared the 24 April as a Victims Remembrance Day. Today the total number of Armenians who live in Bulgaria is exceeding 7,000.

 

5. Paraguay

In 2015 the Chamber of Senator in Paraguay unanimously adopted the resolution and recognized the mass murder of Armenians as genocide. The number of Armenians who live in Paraguay is still unknown.

 

4. Austria

Austria officially recognized the Armenian genocide two years ago, in 2015. Today, there are more than 6,000 Armenians who live in Austria, mostly they settled in Vienna. They talk Armenian language and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church.

 

3. Luxembourg

The Chamber of Deputies unanimously adopted a resolution of recognition of the Armenian genocide in 2015. There is a small number of Armenian people who live in Luxembourg, one of the countries that recognize the Armenian genocide, and it is not yet precise.

 

2. Syria

Syria recognized Armenian genocide in 2015. A lot of Armenians, more than 100,000 settled in Syria, out of which approximately 60,000 are centralized in Aleppo. The Armenians who live in Syria are talking both Armenian and Arabic language, and they belong to Armenian Apostolic Church.

 

1. United States

As of 2016, 45 out of 50 states in the United States have recognized the Armenian genocide. Today there are more than 1.5 million Armenians who live in the United States where they talk either Armenian or American English.

We hope soon there will be much more than these 28 countries that recognize the Armenian genocide!