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“With a brilliant display of forensic advocacy, one of the greatest legal minds on the international stage forces a shameful but inconvenient truth upon the world."—Helena Kennedy, QC
Winner Polemic of the Year, The Paddy Power Political Book Awards 2015
On April 24th, 2015 people around the world commemorated the centenary of the death of over one million Armenians. In their eyes, and in those of many around the world, they will be remembering a genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire. Turkey has always explained the dead as simply victims of a vicious civil war, and continues to this day to refuse to acknowledge the events as constituting genocide.
This argument has become, in turn, an international issue. Twenty national parliaments in democratic countries have voted to recognize the genocide, but Britain and the United States continue to equivocate for fear, it would seem, of alienating their NATO ally.
In this seminal book, Geoffrey Robertson QC, a former UN appeals judge, sets out to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the massacres and deportations were a crime against humanity which amounted to genocide.
Geoffrey Robertson, QC, is founder and head of Doughty Street Chambers, the UK’s leading human rights legal practice. A barrister, academic, author, and broadcaster, Robertson is the author of several books including The Justice Game and Mullahs Without Mercy. He lives in London, England.
“Geoffrey Robertson proves the genocidal intent behind the atrocities afflicted on the Armenians. After this compelling book, genocide denial and equivocation can never again be credible.”
Amal Clooney
“Geoffrey Robertson takes us into the courtroom of history for a thrilling cross-examination exposing the hypocrisy and cowardice of the apologists for this colossal crime – the extermination of over half the Armenians in Turkey. Forty-three of our states recognise this as genocide, so why can’t the United States?”
Tina Brown
“With a brilliant display of forensic advocacy, one of the greatest legal minds on the international stage forces a shameful but inconvenient truth upon the world. “ Helena Kennedy QC
“Geoffrey Robertson, with his usual forensic brilliance, makes the case for justice for the Armenian victims of the 1915 massacre. ” Sir Keir Starmer KCB QC
“A devastating, searing indictment of complicity and cover-up over the extermination of one million people.” Peter Hain MP
Geoffrey Robertson: GEOFFREY ROBERTSON QC is founder and head of Doughty Street Chambers, the UK’s leading human rights legal practice. A barrister, academic, author and broadcaster, Robertson is the author of several books including Crime Against Humanity and The Tyrannicide Brief.
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: The Armenian Question 15
Chapter 2: The History 35
Chapter 3: The Evidence 59
Chapter 4: The Law 91
Chapter 5: Justifying Genocide 125
Chapter 6: The Politics of Genocide Recognition 149
Chapter 7: Genocide Equivocation: A Case Study 159
Chapter 8: Should Genocide Denial Be a Crime? 193
Chapter 9: Reparations 217
Chapter 10: Conclusion 237
Note on the Author 247
Acknowledgements 249
Appendix 1 251
Appendix 2 254
Endnotes 257
Index 289