The Armenian Genocide initiated in the Ottoman Empire during the World War I in the beginning of the previous century is one of the biggest crimes against humanity. Advancing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide the new project introduced by "Armenpress" news agency is dedicated to the story of the eyewitnesses and survivors of the calamity to prove the world one more time that our demand for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is fair and justified. This time the project is dedicated to the story of the oldest resident of the Aygavan village 99-year old Mariam Sahakyan.

AYGAVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. 99-year old Mariam Sahakyan spends the major part of her day in front of an ordinary house in Armenia’s Aygavan village. Mariam Sahakyan was born in 1915 in Syria, where her family was forced to move to from Sasoun.

For a moment she stopped following the games of her great grandchildren and responding our question stated: “I don’t remember almost anything. I was but a child.” This elderly woman doesn’t remember anything from the past. But her family members say that, perhaps, she does not want to remember anything, because there is so much pain in her memories.

The fact of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman government has been documented, recognized, and affirmed in the form of media and eyewitness reports, laws, resolutions, and statements by many states and international organizations. The complete catalogue of all documents categorizing the 1915 wholesale massacre of the Armenian population in Ottoman Empire as a premeditated and thoroughly executed act of genocide, is extensive. Uruguay was the first country to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1965. The massacres of the Armenian people were officially condemned and recognized as genocide in accordance with the international law by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Canada, Vatican and Australia.

Article by Tatevik Grigoryan

Photos by Arevik Grigoryan