Parliament Committee Rejects Opposition Bill Criminalizing Genocide Denial

The Armenian opposition is once again fighting to strengthen laws that punish denial of the Armenian Genocide, after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s controversial remarks raised anger in Armenia and the Diaspora. The debate shows deep concerns that the current government is undermining Armenian national identity, weakening the fight for truth, and giving in to Turkish and Azerbaijani narratives.

Under Article 136 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, denying or justifying genocide already carries heavy fines or up to five years in prison if it incites hatred, discrimination, or violence. The new amendments, proposed by the Hayastan alliance, would increase prison terms and specifically name the Armenian Genocide and other genocides officially recognized by Armenia. They would also punish public approval of statements that deny or question these crimes.

Hayastan MP Artsvik Minasyan explained that “singling out the Armenian genocide is very important for Armenia.” But when presenting the bill to the parliament’s legal committee, pro-government members pushed back, defending Pashinyan’s earlier statements made in Switzerland. In those remarks, the Prime Minister suggested Armenians should “understand what happened” in 1915 and implied that the Soviet Union played a role in the later campaign for international recognition.

Those words caused outrage. Armenian historians, diplomats, and opposition leaders said Pashinyan’s language cast doubt on the very fact of the genocide—the extermination of 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey—already recognized by over three dozen countries, including the United States. Critics argue that Pashinyan’s behavior is part of his effort to please Turkey, a state that continues to deny the genocide, while simultaneously supporting Azerbaijan’s crimes against Artsakh Armenians.

Instead of standing firmly with the truth, Pashinyan dismissed the criticism and his Civil Contract party blocked the bill in committee. Committee chairman Vladimir Vartanyan claimed that the law did not need changes, showing once again that the government is unwilling to defend the memory of the genocide against Turkey’s lies.

Despite the government’s resistance, the opposition promised to force debate on the parliament floor. This is not the first time: in April, Hayastan tried to pass a similar law, which ended in a brawl between government and opposition MPs. Still, the push continues because many Armenians see it as a matter of survival against foreign denial and domestic betrayal.

The controversy grew even larger when in March Pashinyan declared that his government will not try to secure more international recognition of the genocide. He even suggested that recognition by foreign parliaments destabilizes the region and that Armenia has gained nothing from these resolutions. Such statements shocked Armenians worldwide, as they echo the rhetoric of Turkey and Azerbaijan, who benefit from silencing the truth of history. 

For many, this is not just about history—it is about the future. Denying or minimizing the genocide gives strength to Turkey and Azerbaijan, who continue their anti-Armenian policies. It also weakens the Armenian nation’s unity at a time when Artsakh Armenians face displacement and persecution, and Armenian prisoners remain unlawfully held in Baku jails.

The Hayastan alliance argues that Pashinyan’s approach damages Armenia’s moral standing and betrays the memory of those who were killed in 1915. It also undermines the struggle of Artsakh, where genocide denial is not a theoretical debate but a reality lived by people targeted for their very identity.

Meanwhile at the same time, controversy is growing around the renovation of the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan. Activists and opposition members accuse the government of allowing unprofessional and careless work at one of Armenia’s most sacred national sites. Critics argue that the construction company is damaging the basalt columns of the Eternal Flame monument instead of carefully restoring them, leaving the area looking more like a neglected construction site than a place of remembrance.

Architects and civil activists warn that the chosen company lacks experience in restoration and is motivated only by profit, rushing the work without preserving the original stones. Even the architect that designed the memorial decades ago expressed concern, calling the process “careless and unprofessional.” Opposition members in Yerevan’s city council also condemned the government for awarding the contract to a company with a history of failed projects.

The Education Ministry insists the project will be completed properly, but the growing anger shows once again how the current authorities mishandle issues tied to Armenian history, identity, and collective memory. For many Armenians, both the denial debate and the careless treatment of the Genocide Memorial reflect a government that continues to undermine national dignity.

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