EAFJD hands ANCA Western Region's Freedom Award to Cem Oezdemir and Bundestag, for Armenian Genocide Resolution in German Parliament

Press Release EAFJD - Brussels, 20 January, 2017:

European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) President Kaspar Karampetian and EAFJD EU Affairs Officer Heghine Evinyan visited Berlin to hand the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) 2016 “Freedom Award” to Member of the German parliament Cem Oezdemir and the entire German Bundestag.

Oezdemir and the Bundestag were honored during the 2016 ANCA-WR Annual Gala in October 2016 for their courage in “resisting pressure from the government of Turkey to introduce and pass a resolution formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide as well as Germany’s complicity in this crime against humanity”.  

Karampetian and Evinyan congratulated Oezdemir as well as the Bundestag for receiving the Freedom Award and thanked Mr. Oezdemir for his role in adopting the Armenian Genocide resolution.  The EAFJD delegates also congratulated Cem Oezdemir for having been elected co-chair of the German Green party and being a top candidate of the party in the upcoming German elections. “It was an honor to pass the Freedom Award to Mr. Oezdemir on behalf of ANC-Western Region. Mr. Oezdemir, his colleagues  and the entire German Bundestag have set an example and shown moral strength by initiating and adopting the resolution, recognizing the Armenian Genocide as well as Germany’s complicity in it. So should Turkey. The denialist policy is becoming less and less credible.” said Kaspar Karampetian.

Mr. Cem Oezdemir will be the keynote speaker at the 2017 "Tribute to Hrant Dink", organized by the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, a division of the Zoryan Institute, in Montreal and in Toronto, respectively on January 21, and 22.