Statements

We’re Glad to See You Use the G-Word, but Now You Must Act

Released on 18 May 2025

We welcome the sudden about face among some scholars, NGOs, the media, and government officials in Europe, who are now ready to declare what is happening in Gaza a genocide. It is beyond regretful that it took the situation reaching this level of extremity for so many to find the courage to speak out.

While the correct time to act passed long ago, failure to act now will be perhaps the most egregious failure of humanity in the annals of human history. Every single leader – in the West and outside of it – who does not take action at this decisive moment will ensure for themselves a shameful legacy defined by cruelty and cowardice.

World leaders simply do not have any other choice but to confront Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Any choice other than decisive and immediate action will result in the full-scale extirpation of Palestinian life in Palestine as well as a rapid expansion of genocidal violence in the Middle East.

Four Facts about Israel’s Genocide

Released on 18 May 2025


The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security welcomes the scholars, NGOs, media outlets, and large human rights organizations who have spoken out in the past week and have used the correct term – genocide – to describe the horror that Israel is inflicting on Palestians in Gaza. We believe that correctly diagnosing the problem is critical to the creation of a long-term and sustainable peace. We also believe that the consistent and correct use of this term will help guide genocide prevention efforts in the future.

Given that many of the people suddenly recognizing genocide in Gaza are connected with large, respected institutions, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, some people may assume that it was impossible to responsibly use the term before the present exterminationist pattern. Others may assume that the only genocidal crime committed by Israel is the current man-made famine.

We wish to counter these two false impressions with four facts.

Statement on Escalating Violence between India and Pakistan

May 8, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security strongly condemns the escalation of violence across the Line of Control (LoC) between Indian- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This escalation has followed India’s launch of Operation Sindoor on 7 May in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April, which India blames on Pakistan. Since then, India has carried out missile strikes targeting sites in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which have resulted in the deaths of at least 31 people, including children as young as three years old, and injured dozens. We call on both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint and cease all forms of military aggression immediately. Escalating this conflict serves no national interest and only brings immense suffering to millions of innocent civilians on both sides. We urge the international community, particularly key global actors and multilateral institutions, to intervene immediately and bring both countries to the negotiating table. The world cannot afford another catastrophic conflict—especially one involving two nuclear powers.

Statement on the Recent Terrorist Attack in Jammu and Kashmir

May 3, 2025

The Lemkin Institute For Genocide Prevention and Human Security unequivocally condemns the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which has resulted in tragic loss of at least 26 lives and left many more injured. We at the Lemkin Institute extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims and wish a swift recovery to those who were injured.

In this critical moment, we take note of Pakistan’s offer for a neutral, international investigation into the attack. Transparency is essential to ensuring justice and preventing future violence. India must cooperate with credible, neutral mechanisms — justice cannot be served through unilateral actions or politicized narratives.

As an organization committed to genocide prevention, we warn against the dangers of unchecked hostility, which can exacerbate communal violence and put civilian lives at risk. The government of India must not use this attack as an excuse to enact genocidal violence against Muslim communities in Kashmir, other parts of India, or Pakistan. Both nations must return to diplomatic channels, uphold their obligations under international law, and work toward a peaceful resolution.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir have endured decades of conflict. It is time to break this cycle. We stand with all victims of violence and urge global stakeholders to support de-escalation, impartial investigations, and meaningful dialogue between India and Pakistan.

Letter to the American People

March 27, 2025

Many of you have reached out to the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security to ask what you can do in the face of what appears to be an authoritarian coup against the US Constitutional order, driven and overseen by a President and a billionaire who gave the Nazi salute at the President’s inauguration, and deeply infected by the genocidal thinking of many conservatives and evangelicals, targeted mainly at immigrants of color and trans people (for the time being).

We have watched these developments with dismay, and like many of you, we’ve had some dark days. The disturbing political developments have impacted our US-based team members in different ways depending on where they exist within the dynamics of oppression. So, we have been trying to figure out the same things as everyone else. We are with you.

We want to share what we have learned from our experiences studying, researching, and writing about genocide and working in genocide prevention. We offer the points below in the hope that they will generate discussion, direction, and action.

Statement on the Fall of Bashar al-Assad’s Regime in Syria

March 11, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security stands in solidarity with the Syrian people as they mark the end of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, a brutal chapter in Syria’s history characterized by relentless human rights violations and profound suffering.

We are, however, deeply concerned about the roles of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in the post-Assad period. Both groups have histories of human rights abuses and ideologies that conflict with the democratic aspirations of many Syrians. With US support, Turkey has actively been pursuing genocidal expansion in northern Syria since 2019.

As Syria transitions, addressing the humanitarian crisis must be a top priority. Decades of war have devastated infrastructure, displaced millions, and created generational trauma. International aid must focus on rebuilding essential services, supporting displaced communities, and fostering conditions that allow refugees to return voluntarily, safely, and with dignity.

The international community must also provide substantial support to grassroots Syrian organizations that have been the backbone of resistance and resilience throughout the conflict. These groups, including women’s organizations, youth movements, and local councils, are essential to building a democratic and inclusive Syria.

Statement on the Oval Office Meeting between US President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Ukrainian President Zelensky

March 7, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security protests the shameful treatment of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the White House on 28 February 2025. We wish to underscore the outrageous behavior of US Vice President J. D. Vance. Vance’s behavior was petulant, childish, and in jaw-dropping violation of diplomatic protocol. It was particularly offensive given the genocidal threat Russia poses to Ukraine. By publicly dressing down the Ukrainian president and personalizing a high-stakes press conference that – until Vance’s interjections – was going remarkably well, Vice President Vance did a terrible disservice to President Trump, US national security, and the American people. The Trump Administration may feel it is being effective by humiliating state guests and the victims of genocide, but it should consider the long-term impact to the US reputation abroad – among traditional allies, important trade partners, emerging powerhouses, and great power competitors like Russia – of this sort of approach. Statesmanly behavior can serve the same purposes as vulgar bullying, but it also garners respect and good will in the process.

Statement on the Continued Denialist Rhetoric of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

January 30, 2025

At the risk of being accused of being a “Dashnak” organization, taking Russian money, and circulating “fake news” by some Armenians, including notably the Zoryan Institute, which demanded last year that we apologize to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after suggesting that he was engaging in cryptic genocide denial, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security once again calls attention to Prime Minister Pashinyan’s recent statements on the Armenian Genocide, which further echo Turkish denialist narratives. His senseless statements ignore the decades of historical research on the Armenian Genocide conducted by Turkish, German, British, American, and Armenian scholars, among others, stand in the way of the ongoing struggle for justice for the victims of the Armenian Genocide, and create a dangerous geopolitical dynamic, especially in the context of Azerbaijan’s recent genocide of Artsakh Armenians and its ongoing threats to the Republic of Armenia.

Statement on the Fall of Bashar al-Assad’s Regime in Syria

January 21, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security stands in solidarity with the Syrian people as they mark the end of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, a brutal chapter in Syria’s history characterized by relentless human rights violations and profound suffering.

Statement on the Recent Pakistani Airstrike in Afghanistan

January 20, 2025

The Lemkin Institute expresses its profound concern and condemnation regarding the recent airstrikes undertaken by Pakistan in Afghanistan's Paktika province. The December 25 strikes, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 46 individuals, including women and children, constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian and human rights law.

Statement Opposing Genocidal Anti-Trans Bills in Alberta, Canada

December 3, 2024

The Albertan United Conservative Party (UCP) Government in Canada introduced three bills directly targeting transgender youth in Alberta’s legislature on 31 October 2024. The Lemkin Institute condemns these bills as genocidal in nature and supports the legal challenges already planned by Egale and Skipping Stone Foundation, two Canadian organizations which advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ rights and freedoms. The Assembly of First Nations 2SLGBTQQIA+ Council has also released a statement opposing the bills. Alberta’s proposed legislation is a threat to the identities, lives, and wellbeing of all trans individuals living within Alberta, especially young ones. 

Statement on US President Joe Biden’s Apology for Native American Boarding Schools and Its Implications for the World At Large

November 25 2024

As Americans sit down to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security reflects upon the larger history of this holiday. We commend US President Joe Biden’s recent formal apology to Native American communities for the traumatic boarding schools that were part of official US policy for over 150 years. “The federal government has never, never formally apologized for what happened, until today,” Biden said in a speech on October 26 at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. “I formally apologize as President of the United States of America for what we did. I formally apologize.”