GENOCIDE MUSEUM PROPERTY TO REVERT TO CAFESJIAN BY MAY 23
asbarez
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
The Genocide Museum building in Washington)
WASHINGTON-The US District Court for the District of Columbia Tuesday
ruled that all properties for the planned Armenian Genocide Museum
and Memorial must revert to the Cafesjian Family Foundation by May 23,
court papers indicate.
The ruling comes after the court ruled in favor of the CFF on January
26 in a bitter lawsuit with the Armenian Assembly of America.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly also denied a motion by the Assembly
for a new trial after it lost the initial case.
“I welcome the court’s concluding verdict that finally frees us all
to build this long-awaited museum and memorial about the fact and
ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide,” CFF chairman Gerard L.
Cafesjian told the Armenian Reporter, commenting on the verdict.
“Thankfully, this case is finally over,” CFF counsel, John B.
Williams, told the Armenian Reporter. “The properties have to be
transferred to CFF in the next two weeks. That is what we have all
been fighting for. We hope that the Assembly leadership will be
willing to amicably resolve the few loose ends that remain.”
CFF board member Ross Vartian reiterated the call to the leadership
of the Armenian Assembly to “cease blocking the project and instead
to abide by the May 9 ruling ordering the transfer of all properties
to the CFF no later than May 23, 2011,” according to the Reporter.
“Further delay serves no constructive purpose,” Vartian added in a
comment to the Reporter, which is published by Cafesjian.
The ruling is the final judgment in the case.