Report charges UK with denying Armenian genocide

Published: Monday November 09, 2009

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British officials engaged in genocide denial to appease Turkey's concerns, according to government documents obtained by human rights lawyer who conducted an independent probe requested by the British-Armenian community, British and other media reported.

Geoffrey Robertson, who had served as president of the U.N. war crimes court for Sierra Leone, issued a 44-page report titled "Was there an Armenian Genocide?" on October 9.

Through Freedom of Information Act requests, Mr. Robertson obtained government opinions that urged British officials not to use the genocide term because "Turkey is neuralgic and defensive about the charge of genocide."

While acknowledging the ethical shortcomings of this position, the government also suggested in a 1999 briefing that "recognising the genocide would provide no practical benefit to the UK," while its denial helped relations with Turkey.

Government reports also encouraged British officials to decline to pay respect to Armenian victims, while encouraging debate about validity of the genocide.

Mr. Robertson argued that Britain's policy sought "to evade truthful answers, because the truth would discomfort the Turkish government".

And also that "it is a matter of legal judgment, and not a matter for historians, as to whether past events amount to a crime of genocide."