22230 - Genocide is not only a mass atrocity

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Vicky Baklessi

Genocide is not only ethnic cleansing nor mass atrocity. Genocide has legal status, just like the crimes against Humanity. So the government body cannot use euphemisms to characterize and especially in special documents that refer to the Education of a Nation. It is not permissible for such mistakes to still exist or even falsifications. Because it is an indirect and skilful way for denial of the concept of genocide. So even when we present the work of the Committee of holocaust, genocides, crimes against Humanity, some try to change also the action by changing systematically the vocabulary, without necessarily realizing that their choice has no legal status. The entire work of Lemkin is based on the simple idea that in order for a perpetrator to be convicted, the crimes have to be clearly on a legal context. This way it characterizes specific acts with the term of genocide, which he coined in order also for the judge to have an instrument which is effective against barbarism. So any modification that is made on this word not only is not diplomatic, but in essence it acquits the barbaric perpetrator, since there is no accusation. While in Greece we have recognized genocide and penalized its denial exactly for this reason. And this is an honor for us.