On the eve of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we witnessed the complete—and planned—destruction by Azerbaijan of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral in the heart of occupied Stepanakert.

Azerbaijan has been employing the same barbaric tactics that the Turks used more than a century ago to annihilate the Armenian race. It started with the Soviet-era pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait, Kirovabad, Baku, Maragha, Shahumian and other areas. The 2020 Artsakh War showed that Azerbaijan would stop at nothing to destroy Artsakh and its population. This was followed by the complete blockade imposed on Artsakh, which ultimately led to the forced displacement of all of Artsakh’s Armenian population.

These acts of violence—born from a state policy of deep-rooted intolerance and hatred toward Armenians—occurred as the international community sat idly by, only issuing statements of “deep concern” and tacit condemnation, essentially empowering Azerbaijan to act with impunity to carry out its objectives.

Today, the same world powers are talking about peace without addressing the consequences of the past injustices that have gone unrecognized and unpunished.

What is more egregious, however, is the Armenian government’s posturing in the face of these realities. So convinced that they can usher in a new era of peace for Armenia that the administration of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has begun a dangerous campaign of denial to appease those who allegedly are seeking peace, when in reality all they are doing is advancing further economic opportunities to enrich themselves.

For Pashinyan to begin using the word “Medz Yeghern” (Great Calamity) to describe the events of 1915, and even hinting that the history and causes of the Armenian Genocide should be examined, has damaged the almost century of activism and advocacy that has led to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a first step toward the cause to get justice for the victims.

For Pashinyan to state that the Karabakh Liberation Movement, which not only saw the historic reclaiming of Artsakh, but in many ways hastened Armenia’s independence in 1991, cannot continue as it is fomenting war, means that those leading Armenia have all but given up on the concepts of self-determination, justice and human rights.

The Armenian government believes that by ignoring history they are wiping the slate clean with the promise of a better Armenia with a brighter future and unburdened by the injustices of history. Pashinyan believes that by not dwelling in the past it is taking away the reality—the fact—that Armenians have been victims to such unspeakable atrocities over the course of modern history.

So, when the prime minister of Armenia makes his skewed case to the public and in international forums, he is essentially allowing Turkey to continue to deny the Armenian Genocide and empowering Azerbaijan to carry out mass atrocities without any accountability to international norms and laws.

Pashinyan’s approach to the issue of Genocide, and by extension, the Karabakh-Artsakh issue, has damaged the decades-long efforts by the Diaspora to advance the cause of justice for the Armenian people—the Armenian Nation.

History is inconvenient, but it also makes people what they are and provides them with an impetus to fight for what is theirs—their identity, their raison d’être, their NATION.

The pursuit of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide as stepping stone to garnering reparations and justice for the crime must continue as not only an Armenian-centric issue, but a human rights imperative. We, as Armenians, have argued for decades that recognition of the Armenian Genocide will prevent other such acts from ever occurring.

We have witnessed, first hand, that in the absence of international recognition of such crimes, despotic leaders are emboldened to commit even more heinous crimes against people. Case in point the situation in Palestine today and the ongoing struggle of Artsakh Armenians who have been forced from their homeland, both of which have been called genocide by international legal and rights experts.

So, can we truly say that the Armenian Genocide is in the past and that we must move forward?

We cannot. By ignoring and turning a deaf ear to history we are paving the way for more injustices and ensuring that the threat of genocide will loom for future generations of Armenians.

Let us commit ourselves to the Armenia Cause more forcefully for the sake of the future generations.

—

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

In a statement marking Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city joins the Armenian community in Los Angeles and around the world in remembering the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Bass paid tribute to the lives lost, the families torn apart, and the generations who have carried this history forward with strength and dignity.

She also highlighted the resilience of Armenian Angelenos, noting that their contributions have helped shape Los Angeles’ culture, economy, and civic life in lasting ways.

The mayor emphasized that Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Armenian communities outside Armenia, adding that their story is an integral part of the city’s own story.

“From small businesses to the arts, from education to public service, Armenian Angelenos continue to enrich every corner of our City,” she said.

Bass stressed that remembrance must also be accompanied by a commitment to truth, justice, and standing against hate in all its forms.

“We stand with our Armenian community today and every day,” she concluded.

—

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday issued a proclamation declaring April 24, 2026, as “A Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.”

Below is the text of the proclamation.

PROCLAMATION

On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire began its systematic genocide of Armenian people, a minority group that had long been treated as second-class citizens. The Armenian Genocide began with the forced deportation and murder of hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders and ended with the deaths of 1.5 million men, women, and children. It was the first genocide of the 20th century.

As we remember the victims and survivors on this somber anniversary, we honor the strength and resilience of the Armenian people, who have built new lives and thriving communities in all corners of the globe. Thousands made their homes in California, and we are immeasurably greater for their contributions.

Shamefully, this community continues to be the target of hateful acts that too often go unreported. These, and other ongoing threats to the Armenian people, are painful reminders of the need to not only learn the lessons of history but also to redouble efforts to address discrimination and violence. California is taking action to confront racial, ethnic, and religious hate through enhanced security at houses of worship and other at-risk cultural centers, anti-hate programs that promote tolerance and support victims, an anonymous reporting hotline for victims and witnesses of hate acts, and other resources.

California is committed to continuing this work to protect the safety and well-being of all our communities. Let us recommit ourselves to remembering the painful lessons of the past and always speaking out against hatred and atrocities anywhere they occur.

NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim April 24, 2026, as “Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.”

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 23rd day of April 2026.

GAVIN NEWSOM
Governor of California

ATTEST:
SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D.
Secretary of State

—

ANCA Demands Policy Reset as Administration Enables Azerbaijan’s Ongoing Aggression

WASHINGTON – The Armenian National Committee of America sharply condemned President Donald Trump’s continued retreat from American recognition and remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, as reflected in his refusal — for the sixth time — to acknowledge this crime by name in the White House’s annual April 24th statement marking the 111th anniversary of the Ottoman Turkish Government’s systematic annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians.

“President Trump is doubling down on his disgraceful surrender to Turkish threats — continuing, now for the sixth time, enforcing Ankara’s gag-rule against honest American remembrance of this crime — despite recognition by the White House, Congress, all fifty states, and more than a dozen NATO allies,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

“President Trump’s complicity in covering up Turkey’s crimes — actively enabling Ankara’s ongoing consolidation of the WWI-era genocide of the Armenian people — is compounded by his Administration’s reckless policies arming and enabling Azerbaijan’s continued attempts to annihilate Armenians from their historic homeland,” Hamparian continued. “In the wake of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s indigenous Armenian population — amid its ongoing occupation of Armenian territory, abuse of Armenian prisoners, and destruction of Armenian Christian heritage — the United States has a duty not only to speak the truth about the 1915 Genocide, but to end its complicity in pan-Turkic attempts to complete this genocide.”

Trump’s failure to use the word genocide stands in direct contradiction to his 2024 campaign pledge to “restore peace in the South Caucasus and stop the violence and ethnic cleansing.”

The pattern of retreat has extended beyond the Oval Office. In February 2026, Vice President JD Vance visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan — only to delete his public post about that visit under pressure from Ankara. The @VP X account had initially posted: “Today, Vice President Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance attended a wreath laying ceremony at the Armenian Genocide memorial to honor the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide.” That post was removed and replaced with language stripping all reference to the Armenian Genocide. The ANCA condemned the deletion as a “disgraceful surrender to Turkish pressure” that demonstrated how Ankara “never tires of ritually humiliating America.”

“President Trump’s retreat from the truth was, sadly, amplified this February by Vice President Vance — who visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, only to delete his public post about this visit — under pressure from Ankara, which never tires of ritually humiliating America on this score,” Hamparian added.

Trump’s non-recognition stands in opposition to the record established by his predecessor. President Joe Biden formally used the term “genocide” in his April 24 statement in 2021 and throughout his Administration. The United States first recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1951 through a submission to the International Court of Justice. President Ronald Reagan cited the Genocide in a 1981 Holocaust Remembrance statement. In 2019, both the U.S. House (H.Res.220) and Senate (S.Res.150) passed measures affirming that recognition with overwhelming bipartisan support. All 50 U.S. states have formally recognized the Armenian Genocide through resolutions or proclamations.

The ANCA repeats its call on President Trump to honor the commitment he made during his campaign and to lead a fundamental reset in U.S. policy toward Turkey and the South Caucasus — one that ends U.S. complicity in genocide denial, holds perpetrators accountable, and ensures peace grounded in justice and the right of return for the Christian Armenian people of Artsakh.

Background: The Armenian Genocide and the U.S. Record of Recognition
April 24, 2026, marks the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide — the Ottoman Empire’s premeditated and systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians, along with 750,000 Assyrians, Greeks, Maronites, and other Christians. Between 1915 and 1923, more than two-thirds of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire was annihilated.

Modern-day Turkey — founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk — continues the genocide through denial, destruction of Armenian cultural heritage, and criminalization of remembrance. Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan has adopted similar policies and rhetoric, weaponizing denial and nationalism to justify its assault on the Armenian people of Artsakh and Armenia.

The Armenian Genocide continues today. In 2020, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, launched a war against Artsakh, committing war crimes and displacing tens of thousands. In 2023, a brutal 10-month blockade culminated in Azerbaijan’s military assault on Artsakh, resulting in the genocidal ethnic cleansing of its entire indigenous Armenian Christian population. Since then, Azerbaijan has systematically destroyed Armenian churches, abused prisoners of war, and threatened renewed war on the Republic of Armenia.

The full text full text of President Trump’s statement is below

Presidential Message on Armenian Remembrance Day

The White House | April 24, 2026

Today, we pay tribute to the countless Armenians who were exiled and brutally massacred during the Meds Yeghern.  We stand in steadfast solidarity with every Armenian American and Armenians around the world during this day of remembrance for the devastating events that occurred over 100 years ago, which continue to live in the collective memories of these communities today.

This solemn chapter in human history will forever stand as a testament to the unbreakable spirit of the Armenian people and the hope at the center of Christianity.  We honor the profound strength and resolve displayed by the Armenians in overcoming the tremendous tragedies of the past and forging a greater future that is defined by enduring prosperity, security, and peace.  We commit to standing with them.

Together, the United States and Armenia will continue our work toward building a more secure and prosperous world.  My Administration is strengthening our strategic partnership by delivering significant opportunities for the Armenian people and promoting lasting stability across the South Caucasus region.  And now, Americans and Armenians stand side by side on the historic Board of Peace, united in our purpose to usher in a new era of peace through strength.

This Armenian Remembrance Day, as we mourn the innocent souls who perished during the tragedy of the Meds Yeghern, we renew our sacred calling to protect the innocent, advance the cause for peace among all people, and cultivate a deep reverence for Almighty God, who sustains us through every trial and triumph.

—

Statement of the Armenian National Committee – International on the 111th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

The 111th anniversary commemoration of the victims of the Armenian Genocide is upon us. While the passage of time may appear to distance us from the consequences of that abhorrent crime against humanity, recent developments in our history—namely, the occupation and the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh—once again demonstrate that the Armenian Genocide was not a crime confined to a specific time and place, but an ongoing process aimed at the extermination or displacement of the Armenian people from their homeland.

Genocide remains both a crime and an existential threat so long as the perpetrating state has neither acknowledged its political and moral responsibility nor been compelled to do so by the international community. Recognition of genocide is equally necessary for the perpetrator—to cleanse itself of a historical stigma and cease to pose a civilizational threat—and for the victim, as a guarantee against the continuation of genocidal intent.

For decades, the struggle for the international recognition, condemnation, and reparations of the Armenian Genocide has been aimed primarily at ensuring the secure existence of Armenia and the Armenian people. This pursuit has never been an end in itself for the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Diaspora, or the international community; rather, it has sought to foster lasting peace and coexistence in the region through the restoration of justice and a reckoning with history.

In Armenian–Turkish relations, there is no “conflict” in the classical sense. It is therefore misguided to approach interstate normalization through conventional conflict-resolution mechanisms. In this context, there exists a perpetrator state whose denialist policies—and ongoing actions—demonstrate the persistence of genocidal intent, and a victimized side seeking to prevent the recurrence of such actions.

The ongoing Armenia–Turkey negotiation process illustrates this reality. Despite the Armenian authorities having imprudently and unconditionally met all of Turkey’s preconditions, the Turkish side has not only refrained from implementing even agreed-upon symbolic steps but has also introduced new preconditions and continues to link Armenia–Turkey relations to Armenia–Azerbaijan dynamics. In effect, Turkey maintains an unlawful blockade against the Republic of Armenia, which constitutes a manifestation of hostile policy.

As a result, a situation has emerged in which the authorities of Armenia possess virtually no effective means to influence the course of normalization. Under these conditions, it becomes evident that Armenia–Turkey relations should not be treated as a conventional conflict. A genuine path toward normalization—both at the interstate level and, potentially, between the two peoples—can only emerge when the Turkish state adopts policies that do not aim at dismantling Armenia’s security architecture and do not entail the continuation of the genocidal crime.

On this solemn anniversary, we honor the memory of our innocent victims and reaffirm that the memory of the Armenian Genocide cannot be denied, and its international recognition cannot be subject to negotiation.

—

The Armenian Genocide Is Not A Historical Event Confined To The Past, But A Manifestation Of Human Injustice

One hundred eleven years ago, the systematic agenda carried out by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people takes on renewed meaning and urgency today, considering the ongoing massacres across the world and, especially in recent years, the endless chain of localized genocides and forced displacements inflicted upon the peoples of the Middle East.

As in the past, so too today, conscious humanity continues to bleed at the sight of injustices committed by the powerful against their fellow human beings through brutal oppression, territorial occupations, and various forms of cultural destruction and genocide. While these forms of manifestations may differ in certain respects from the Armenian Tragedy of the early twentieth century, particularly during the years 1915–1923, marked by the annihilation of Western Armenia, immense human and territorial losses, the appropriation of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage, and the forced blood soaked marches of deported Armenians, their essence remains unchanged. They are crimes of human injustice, especially in its denial of the fundamental rights of nations to self-determination and to live.

In this spirit, we once again bow in reverence before the memory of the martyred sons and daughters of the Armenian people and call upon the living generations to remain committed in remembrance. The Armenian Genocide is not merely a historical event confined to the past. Rather, it endures as a lasting testament to human injustice, one that, regrettably, has yet to receive its full and rightful recognition. It has yet to become a noble act of just reparation in the collective memory of the dispersed and massacred Armenian people, or within the broader framework of goodwill, constructive efforts, and moral principles that uphold peaceful coexistence among nations and secure lasting peace for humanity.

It is our responsibility to uphold the torch of the Armenian people’s just demands, as a symbol of human injustice and an enduring link in the 111-year chain of ongoing wars and genocides, known as the Armenian Cause.

Archbishop Kegham Khacherian, Prelate
Western U.S. Prelacy