By Rubik Vardanyan

Copyright today

Lawyers for the family of Rafael Lemkin, the author of the
term “genocide,” have once again demanded that an organization called
the Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide stop using the name of
their famous ancestor.

An organization with unclear objectives took the name of a
Polish lawyer of Jewish-Ukrainian origin without asking the family’s
permission. In November last year, in an interview with the Algemeiner Journal,
a relative of Rafael Lemkin, Joseph Lemkin, stated that he did not know about
the existence of the institute until journalists informed him about it, and
that he was extremely outraged that the name of his deceased relative was being
used “to promote an anti-Israeli agenda.” According to the magazine,
the Lemkin family is considering various actions, including publishing a joint
public statement or a letter demanding the cessation of illegal actions, in
order to force the organization to stop using Lemkin’s name.

The institute’s management ignored the family’s opinion and
continued to speculate on Lemkin’s name. The other day, according to media
reports, the family’s lawyers and representatives of the European Jewish
Association said that the institute was misleading the public and distorting
Lemkin’s legacy by promoting positions contrary to his views.

The fact is that an office of unknown origin, which has been
actively serving Armenian interests since 2021, has gone too far, using
Lemkin’s name and his distorted legacy in anti-Israeli propaganda. Ten days
after the start of a new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October
2023, the institute accused Israel of genocide of the Palestinians.

Lemkin’s relative stressed that the Institute had not
contacted the family with a request regarding the use of this name.

It is noteworthy that the Lemkin Institute for the
Prevention of Genocide was established after the 44-day war. This cannot be a
coincidence, especially considering the fact that the main activity of the
dubious structure revolves around the Armenian theme. Moreover, what is
especially noteworthy is that this is not about the interests of Armenia and
the Armenian society. The Institute takes care of maintaining and promoting the
separatist and revanchist agenda on the world stage. Not only Baku is being
criticized, but also the Armenian government. An office with a big name,
created in the United States with the money of the Diaspora, openly interferes
in the internal affairs of the Republic of Armenia and tries to dictate to its
leadership what to say and how to act.

Despite the claims about the credibility of this office, in
fact it has no authority. Even Lemkin’s family found out about the existence of
such an institute recently, and then only after publications about the
institute’s statements on Karabakh, paid for by the Diaspora, appeared in the

There is no doubt that the organization is funded by the
Armenians. After the Second Karabakh War, namely in early 2021, the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) announced the need to create an
“organization or group in the United States to develop methods for early
identification of organized violence against Karabakh Armenians.” It was
an announcement about the purchase of services, a message that the Armenians
are ready to pay for the “genocide” scenario. The script had to be
not only created, but also promoted on behalf of the American organization, so
that the Armenian filling would not be very noticeable. But it is impossible to
hide it, because the institute’s activities are devoted almost entirely to
promoting the new “Armenian genocide.” Some other topics are included
in the work plan just for decency. This can be seen even in the Wikipedia
article about this organization. If we are mistaken, then why does the
institute’s website list “preventing the threat of genocide of ethnic
Armenians from Azerbaijan” as the first item among the goals of the
organization? The topic of Ukraine is closer to the end of the list. And the
fight against racism was not lucky at all – it is only in seventh place in
importance.

The paid services of the office also prove the involvement
of the infamous Aurora Foundation, funded by Rubik Vardanyan, in the project.
The prospect of making big money inspired two American professors to announce
the creation of the institute, which was named after Rafael Lemkin.

The Diaspora, as always, was wasted. The so-called institute
did not become the flagship of the struggle against the “Armenian genocide
of Artsakh.” He is not noticed, he is not considered, and now a scandal is
breaking out around the office in connection with the unauthorized use of the
name of Rafael Lemkin and attempts to present his provocative activities as a
reflection of his legacy. It seems that the organizers of the office did not
get acquainted with Lemkin’s biography well, otherwise they would have thought
carefully before making anti-Israeli statements.

All the activities of this dubious structure are based on
the principles of borderless nationalist propaganda, which the Diaspora has
been conducting for many years, despite even the interests of the Armenian
statehood. Already on September 19, 2023, the Lemkin Institute for the
Prevention of Genocide published an SOS signal stating that there was no doubt
that “genocide” was taking place in Karabakh. Cool experts like Luis
Moreno Ocampo are sure of this. The office, thinking that someone was
interested in her opinion, stated that “this moment in time is mandatory
for powerful leaders and states to speak out against Azerbaijan.” The
statement, published on the day of the start of the anti-terrorist operation in
Karabakh, made apocalyptic predictions about the future of the region. After
the operation was completed, on September 22, the institute presented the
second SOS signal about the “critical danger of genocide.” “The
Lemkin Institute is horrified that the world has allowed such a thing to
happen,” and so on.

In short, there was a lot of noise, but none of those to
whom it was addressed heard it.

We also recall the attacks on Nikol Pashinyan. After the
Armenian prime minister questioned the narrative of the “Armenian
genocide,” a real explosion took place at the Lemkin Institute. The office
had previously accused Pashinyan of “covert denial of the genocide,”
but then he spoke out in plain text – and it began. How dare he question the
“established historical narrative” and threaten the “integrity
of Armenian sovereignty,” the Lemkin Institute wailed.

And recently, the Lemkin Institute has already completely
disavowed, having hysterically criticized the Washington agreements of the
leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The joint declaration signed in the United
States, according to the office, “may legitimize Baku’s expansionist
ambitions and create the ground for new crimes against the Armenian
people.” The institute’s leadership, as well as those who dictate the
texts of such statements, demanded that the US administration “abandon
support for Baku’s policy and insist on fulfilling the preconditions that
ensure justice and security.” The preconditions include, of course, the
return of Armenians, the release of separatists and terrorists, the inclusion
of Dashnak narratives in Azerbaijani history textbooks, and the like.

And all this fuss took place and is happening under the
guise of the name of Rafael Lemkin.

Of course, the family of the founder of the concept of
“genocide” was outraged by the non-Armenian activities of the
so-called institute. But it would be good if this office stopped using his name
in their dirty business. It would completely deprive her of her voice. After
all, the Armenian Diaspora project has been operating in Lemkin’s name for four