A Moment of Silence in Austrian Parliament

Photo by Garo Chadoian of the Austrian Armenian Committee for Justice & Democracy

Today, April 22, the Austrian parliament held a moment of silence in memory of the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

A day earlier, on April 21, the Austrian Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide and urging Turkey to face up to its past.

Bedo Demirjian of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy confirmed the resolution’s passage to CivilNet.

Demirjian said the resolution was signed and agreed by all six political factions in the Austrian Parliament.

The resolution states that the Ottoman Empire planned and executed the Armenian Genocide and emphasizes the responsibility of Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman and German ally during World War I.

"The resolution calls on Turkey to face its past black pages and will recognize the Armenian Genocide," said Demirjian.

On April 24, the German Bundestag will adopt a resolution on the Armenian Genocide and it is expected that the word genocide will be included in the text.