Statements

Statement on the Arrest and Detention of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben
Vardanyan by Azerbaijan

September 27, 2023
The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is deeply concerned about the breaking news of the arrest and detention of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan by Azerbaijan’s State Border Service. Vardanyan was taken by Azerbaijani agents on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 as he attempted to cross the illegal Lachin checkpoint (established by Azerbaijan in April 2023) along with thousands of other citizens of Artsakh fleeing Azerbaijani occupation.

Statement on Rohingya Refugee Repatriation

10 September 2023

As the current crisis between the Myanmar junta and its political opposition continues, the state of Bangladesh, which neighbors Myanmar, has plans to repatriate refugees on its territory, especially members of Myanmar’s Rohingya minority. While the Lemkin Institute understands the pressures faced by Bangladesh as host to hundreds of thousands of refugees, we nonetheless wholeheartedly oppose this plan as inconsistent with moral values, the right of refugees to seek protection, and international law.

Statement in Response to the Open Letter sent by the Rabbinical Center of Europe to the President and Prime Minister of Armenia

September 9, 2023

The Lemkin Institute's response to the Open Letter sent by the Rabbinical Center of Europe to the President and Prime Minister of Armenia, signed by 50 leading European rabbis, which states that “[e]xpressions such as ‘ghetto’, ‘genocide’,
‘holocaust’ and others are (…) inappropriate to be part of the jargon used in any kind of political disagreement” and call on the Armenian government to “explicitly and unequivocally clarify that the Armenian people recognizes and honors the terrible human suffering undergone by the Jewish people.”

Statement on Refugee Shipwreck near Pylos, Greece

July 3rd, 2023

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention mourns the recent boat disaster in international waters off the coast of Pylos, Greece and condemns the cruel response of the Hellenic Coast Guard, which waited at least 13 hours to do anything about the clearly overburdened vessel. This catastrophic event has thus far claimed eighty-two innocent lives, left hundreds of refugees missing, and brought immense sorrow to families and communities. Only 104 people have been rescued alive. The victims are primarily Egyptians, Syrians, Pakistanis, Afghans, and Palestinians. The yawning gap between the international response to a refugee boat carrying about 750 people and to the Titan submersive vessel tragedy underscores the necessity that world leaders recognize and respect the inherent value of each and every human life. It also demonstrates the real possibility of rapid, coordinated, appropriate international action to prevent further loss of life during crises at sea.

A Peace to End All Peace? Statement on the International Actors Sponsoring So-Called Peace Negotiations Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

May 30, 2023

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention registers its deep concern over the glaring blind spots of international negotiators involved in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations. We implore international actors, particularly US President Biden, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, to recognize the threat of genocide faced by Armenians in the South Caucasus. We further implore them to fully consider the implications of ignoring existing early warning systems and genocide prevention protocols by rewarding Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his threats against Armenia. Rewarding a dictator who has publicly threatened genocide will have long-term catastrophic implications not only for Armenians, but also for international peace and security.

This is How You Do Genocide Prevention: The Fight for Trans Rights in Nebraska

May 1, 2023

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention wishes to express its appreciation for the efforts of Senators Machaela Cavanaugh and Megan Hunt to protect essential healthcare for children in Nebraska, and for calling attention to the broader implications of LB574, a bill that aims to ban gender affirming care for transgender youth in the Nebraska Unicameral. Their tireless efforts to filibuster all legislation, as well as Cavanaugh’s correct observation that the bill is genocidal, are examples of how our leaders can stand up and be counted when genocidal ideology is being turned into law and policy. The Lemkin Institute urges other Nebraska legislators to vote to defeat this cruel and wrongheaded bill.

Statement on The Power Struggle in Sudan - Another Death Sentence for Genocide Survivors in Darfur

April 26, 2023


Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) and the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention strongly condemn and express grave concern about the recent and ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary force. We are quite alarmed and appalled by the speed and the scope of indiscriminate attacks launched by the two warring parties, the senseless devastation and deaths of innocent civilians, the complete collapse of a much hoped-for transition to civilian governance, and what seems to be a bleak future regarding peace and security in Sudan.

Statement on Azerbaijan s Noncompliance with February 22nd ICJ Order to Unblock Lachin Corridor

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is outraged at Azerbaijan’s blatant disregard for the binding International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on provisional measures issued on February 22, 2023, which ordered Azerbaijan to ensure free movement of goods and people through the Lachin Corridor. Azerbaijan has failed to comply with this order despite the fact that it has accepted ICJ jurisdiction in the 2021 case on the Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) and it has been a party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination since 1996. The Lemkin Institute is equally concerned with the lack of support from the international community in enforcing ICJ's decisions with viable mechanisms. The voluntary nature of international law renders it inept when a state decides not to implement the decisions of international tribunals. The Lemkin Institute strongly advocates for more forceful vehicles to implement those decisions and believes it is in the interest of all states to do so.

Statement on Political Violence in Somaliland

March 29, 2023


The Lemkin Institute expresses its alarm regarding the political violence that has afflicted the Republic of Somaliland since last December. This violence, which has mushroomed into a virtual referendum on Somaliland’s territorial integrity and bid for independence, threatens to embolden Somalian political factions linked historically and ideologically to the Siad Barre regime that committed genocide against the Isaaq people in Somaliland in the 1980s. Thus, the recent violence threatens a renewed genocide against the Isaaq clan and the possibility of a broader assault in the Somaliland identity in general.

Statement on UK s Illegal Migration Bill

March 21, 2023

In light of our efforts to monitor and respond to potentially harmful practices related to migrants and refugees across Europe and in the United States, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is disturbed by the Illegal Migration Bill recently introduced in Great Britain by the conservative British government of Prime Minster Rishi Sunak.

Statement on the Deaths of Afghan Migrants in Bulgaria

March 8, 2023

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is deeply concerned about the tragic news of eighteen Afghan migrants and refugees who were found dead near Lokosrsko (Bulgaria). We condemn the Bulgarian leadership and the responsible EU authorities for failing to respond adequately to the ongoing migrant smuggling crisis and, more broadly, for promoting a refugee policy that is xenophobic, racist, Islamophobic, classist, and out of step with international law and human rights norms.

Statement on the Dangers of Ill-Informed Reporting on Genocide & Its Prevention

March 5, 2023

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention wishes to call attention to the unfortunate failings of many media outlets and journalists when it comes to reporting on genocide, atrocity crimes, and their prevention. We wish to highlight that misleading reporting often has the impact of unfairly challenging the lived experience of threatened communities and delaying the response of governments and international organizations, thereby prolonging the suffering of the affected communities. It is time for international media to take seriously the field of atrocity prevention and to offer journalists adequate training to productively and accurately report on crises around the world.