LONDON (RFE/RL)–A former United Nations judge and leading British lawyer who backed the international recognition of the Armenian genocide in his recent landmark opinion is on the legal team defending the WikiLeaks founder.
International law expert Geoffrey Robertson, the author of the 2009 legal opinion piece: “Was There an Armenian Genocide?” has been in the center of the British media’s attention in recent days after promoting top whistleblower Julian Assange’s release on bail in a London court.
Robertson cut his Australia vacation short to return to London earlier this week to represent Assange, a 39-year-old Australian national facing sex charges in Sweden.
Assange, whose whistle-blowing WikiLeaks website released thousands of classified documents, including sensitive American diplomatic cables, has been granted bail until January when the court is due to consider his extradition to Swedish authorities.
Assange reportedly thanked all those who have supported his case, and especially his lawyers for “effective and successful work.”
Like Assange, Robertson hails from Australia, which British media view as the main reason for his engagement.
For many years, Robertson has been researching evidence related to the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey at the beginning of last century. At the request of the Armenian community in the UK, he published a legal opinion last year upholding the Armenian case that the massacres amounted to genocide.
More than two-dozen world governments, as well as a number of leading international bodies and scholars also recognize the massacres as the first genocide of the 20th century.
In his work in question the recognized expert, in particular, said: “There is no doubt that in 1915 the Ottoman government ordered the deportation of up to 2 million Armenians … hundreds of thousands died en route from starvation, disease, and armed attack.”
In an interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service last spring Robertson said: “I am a former UN judge, and I’ve given a clear assessment of the 1915 events. When you look at the evidence it becomes clear that this was genocide. Legally, this fact cannot be called into question.”
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from EAFJD’s PR on London’s Ealing Council’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide (14 December, 2010) : …”The Federation also reminds that Geoffrey Robertson QC’s findings (2009) are strong enough in overturning the current policy of the British Government, as he proved that the British Parliament is full of archives on the Armenian Genocide, but the Foreign Office impedes the efforts in recognizing the massacres as such”…
The full title is “Was there are an Armenian Genocide?” Geoffrey Robertson QC’s Opinion With Reference to Foreign & Commonwealth Office Documents Which Show How British Ministers, Parliament and People Have Been Misle”, 9 October, 2009… and is starts with the following quote: “HMG (Her Majesty’s Government) is open to criticism in terms of the ethical dimension. But given the importance of our relations (political, strategic, and commercial) with Turkey… the current line is the only feasible option.” Policy memorandum, Foreign & Commonwealth Office to Minister, 12 April, 2009″
I applaud Geoffrey Roberston in his stance on the Armenian Genocide, the truth and standing by Julian Assange.
There is and Armenian saying, “Truth may ail but it NEVER dies.”
Go Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oy oy oy.