Russian Lawmakers Seek Punishment for Armenian Genocide Denial

MOSCOW (Armradio, Armenpress) — Russian lawmaker Sergei Mironov said on Wednesday his party had submitted a bill to parliament on holding to account anyone who denies that the 1915 killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces was a “genocide”.

“We have just submitted a bill on responsibility for failure to acknowledge the fact of a genocide of Armenians by Turkey in 1915,” Mironov, the leader of the opposition Just Russia party, said on his Twitter account.

Meanwhile, head of the RF Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky announced during “Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” program on Russia 1TV channel that Armenian must be allowed to liberate their western territories. “Armenians could do that in 1918 if Moscow supported them, but it was on the Turkish side”, Zhirinovsky stated.

“If we allow Armenians to liberate their western territories, they will be glad to do that”, he said.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky also talked about supporting the Kurds. “Kurds expect our support. If we tell the Kurds that we recognize their independence, their population reaches, as we know, to 20 million, and the capital is already known, it is Diyarbakir. Hence, Eastern Anatoly will cease to exist in the form we know. As a result, there will be independent Kurdistan and Great Armenia”, Zhirinovsky announced.