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On August 3, the Yezidis of the world paid tribute to the memory of the thousands of Yezidis bestially killed by the Islamic State Terrorist Grouping in Iraq. On this occasion today, representatives of the Yezidi community and public gathered at the monument eternalizing the memory of the Yezidi people’s innocent victims in Yerevan Ring-shaped Park.

On the occasion of this day the Member of the Parliament Rustam Makhmudyan presented the message by the RA NA President Ara Babloyan. The message reads:

“Dear Yezidis, dear attendees,

Today once again we bow our heads before the memory of the innocent victims perpetrated in 2014 towards the Yezidi people in the territories of the Republic of Iraq being under the control of the terrorist groupings.

On the fourth anniversary of that heinous crime, the Armenian people and the authorities of Armenia not only express their support to the brotherly Yezidi people, but also reaffirm their resoluteness to continue the struggle for the condemnation and prevention of the genocides.

It is terrible but almost after one century from the Armenian Genocide a whole nation shared the destiny of the Western Armenian and in its historical motherland had undergone to massacres and deportation for national and religious belonging, as in 1915 when in the Ottoman Empire the Yezidi settlements of Vaspurakan, Erzerum, Mush, Kars and other provinces were emptied.

We had the same destiny: we lost together Motherland, and in May 1918 we defended Motherland in Sardarapat and Bash-Aparan and again built Armenia. It is our common house, where all conditions have been created for the welfare, development and preservation of national and cultural identity of the Yezidis and other nations living in Armenia.

In fact, in 2014 Armenia was one of the first countries that responded to Yezidi people’s misfortune and demanded to undertake practical steps to stopping this crime directed to the mankind in the highest instances of the world.

And on 16 January 2018, the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia recognized it as a genocide and expressing its solidarity to the Yezidi people, demanded to persecute and investigate the occurred crimes through the international structures, make accountable the persons who have committed international crimes.

On behalf of the parliament of the Republic of Armenia and personally me I express my support to the whole Yezidi people, share your grief and bow before the memory of the thousands of the innocent victims.

I am hopeful that despite all ordeals the Yezidi people will continue to live, develop and create.”