Opposition MP accuses Armenia's ruling party of misleading public on genocide denial law

Kristine Vardanyan, an MP from the opposition Hayastan faction, has accused Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party of misleading the public by claiming that a law criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide is already in place.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Hayastan faction announced it would introduce a bill to criminalize the Armenian Genocide denial ahead of the 110th anniversary of the atrocity. In response, National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan stated that such a measure already exists under Armenia’s Criminal Code.

Vardanyan argued that Article 136 of Armenia’s Criminal Code penalizes genocide denial when it incites hatred, discrimination or violence.

“This means that simply denying or questioning the Armenian Genocide without inciting hatred or violence is not punishable under the applicable law,” the MP wrote on Facebook, referring to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's remarks.

She stressed that the bill introduced by her faction seeks to criminalize the denial and trivialization of the Armenian Genocide in any form.