WASHINGTON, DC — US House member Rep. Frank Pallone has criticized President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid over deleting a tweet about his visit to the Armenian genocide memorial in Yerevan.
“33 countries, including the United States, have formally recognized the Armenian genocide. The UN should not be complicit in Turkey’s rejection of history. UN-PGA Abdulla Shahid was wrong for deleting his tweet and capitulating to pressure from Turkey,” Mr Pallone tweeted.
On Wednesday, Abdulla Shahid visited the Tsitsernakabert memorial to some 1.5 million Armenians massacred by the Ottoman Turks during the First World War. He also toured the adjacent Museum-Institute of the Armenian Genocide.
“Laid a wreath at the Memorial to the Victims of Armenian Genocide,” Shahid tweeted afterwards. “Special thanks to Museum-Institute Director Harutyun Marutian & Hasmik Martirosian for a tour of the Museum.” The post was removed several hours later, Shahid declined comments.
