YEREVAN, 23 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The political parties of the Republic of Cyprus have drafted a bill criminalizing non-recognition or denial of the Armenian Genocide.

As “Armenpress” reports, citing the Turkish Hurriyet, the bill jointly submitted by all the political parties represented in the Parliament of Cyprus envisages penalties for those who fail to recognize genocide, war crimes and the crimes against humanity.

It is mentioned that it is proposed to pass the bill on the occasion of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. The Republic of Cyprus has recognized the Armenian Genocide. It is assumed that the Parliament of Cyprus will include the bill in the agenda this week.

Currently, 22 countries and several international organizations have recognized the Armenian Genocide.

However, as in the past, Turkey denies the mass killings of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during WWI (nearly 2 million Armenians were living in the Ottoman Empire prior to WWI, nearly 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 and 1923, the remaining 500,000 Armenians became dispersed across the globe).

The Parliaments of Greece, Switzerland and Slovakia have passed bills criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide.