Journal of Genocide Studies

Introduction

Shushan Khachatryan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

N/A

Defining The Concepts of “Racial Discrimination,” “Xenophobia,” “Hate Speech”

Svetlana Chakhmakhchyan, Edita Gzoyan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Seventy-six years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, inequality remains widespread, with many individuals becoming targets of discrimination and hatred due to their origin, religion, or ethnicity. Terms like “racial discrimination,” “xenophobia,” and “hate speech” have become commonly used in modern discourse. This article aims to explore the origins of these three concepts, their legal definitions, and their relevance in today’s society.

The Incitement of Hatred and Violence Against Armenians in Raphael Lemkin’s Research

Narek Poghosyan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article discusses how the brutal imagery of crimes committed against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire left a profound mark on Raphael Lemkin’s memory, significantly influencing the development of his ideas. These events also contributed to his formulation of the concept of “genocide” and the development of the idea of establishing a separate international convention for the prevention and punishment of this crime.

In his unfinished work History of Genocide Lemkin examined the mass violence carried out during the Armenian Genocide, seeking to understand the psychological responses of both the organizers of the massacres and their victims.

He emphasizes that the social status and defining characteristics of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire—particularly their economic success—played a crucial role in inciting hatred against them by the Young Turk leadership. In this regard, Lemkin draws parallels between the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust, comparing the situation of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire to that of Jews in Nazi Germany.

Lemkin also attributes the persecution and hatred against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire largely to religious motivations. He analyzes specific aspects of Young Turk propaganda, which aimed to accuse Armenians, instill hostility toward them, and incite acts of violence.

The Label “Giaour” Applied to Ottoman Christians

Shushan Khachatryan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this article, the derogatory term and their varieties “giaour”/“gâvur”=“kâfir=“infidel,” are examined that have been applied to the Ottoman Christians—a designation that was initially a religious marker but came to entail broad social, cultural, political, and, indeed, economic consequences. Our analysis focuses on the use of this label toward Armenian Christians, beginning with a survey of existing studies on its linguistic and etymological origins, followed by an examination of attestations in Armenian literary sources. We then bring together the resulting forms of discrimination, restrictions, targeting, and instances of capital punishment, the Armenian Genocide, and the usage in modern times in Turkey. The article demonstrates the centuries-long history of dehumanization inherent in the usage of this term against Christians—in this case, Armenians.

Hakob P. Poghosyan’s Work as the First Attempt of the Systematic Study of the Armenian Genocide in Psychological Science

Sose Asatryan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article aims to introduce a broader audience to the work of American-Armenian psychologist Hagop Boghosian and to highlight his pioneering contributions to the psychological study of the Armenian Genocide. Dr. Boghosian’s studies are the first attempt of their kind. As a survivor of the Armenian Genocide, he was uniquely positioned to convey historical realities and their psychological consequences through both his personal testimony and rigorous fieldwork conducted among American Armenians. His research has the potential to stimulate renewed interest among psychologists and to inspire further scholarly inquiry.

In his work, Dr. Boghosian provides a detailed account of the factors preceding and contributing to the genocide, as well as the psychological and physiological torture, repression, and persecution endured by witnesses and survivors.

The 1919 Massacre of Armenians in Agulis (Nakhijevan) and the Role of the Azerbaijani and Turkish Authorities

Elen Hakobyan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article discusses the 1919 massacre of the Armenian civilian population in the villages of Verin Agulis and Nerkin Agulis in Nakhijevan. It focuses on both the military and political context of the organization of the massacre, the role of the Azerbaijani and Turkish authorities of Nakhijevan, and issues related to the participation of local leaders and residents.

The main sources of this study consist of eyewitness testimonies, contemporary accounts, official documents, and period publications. A comparative analysis of these materials enables a comprehensive reconstruction of: a) the process of the extermination of Armenians in Agulis; b) the political challenges faced by the Azerbaijani authorities of Nakhijevan at the end of 1919, which formed the basis for the massacre; c) the predominant influence of the Turkish authorities in Nakhijevan and the subsequent legitimization of the violence under their auspices; d) the circle of direct organizers and perpetrators of the massacre; and e) the social and group-related factors behind the participation of local Tatars in the violence against Armenians.

Erasing the Unwanted Identity: The Destruction and/or Transformation of Armenian Cultural Heritage by Turkish and Azerbaijani Authorities

Seda Parsamyan, Hayastan Martirosyan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Turkish-Azerbaijani Armenophobia has always been manifested not only towards Armenians as an ethnic group, but also towards Armenian cultural heritage. As in the Ottoman Empire and then in the Republican Turkey, as well as in Azerbaijan, Armenian cultural heritage has been targeted by all ruling regimes. Currently, much of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in the Republic of Turkey has been destroyed; some remain in dilapidated state, while others have been converted into mosques or repurposed for various other uses. In recent years, there have also been cases where Armenian churches were put up for auction. In Azerbaijan, a similar pattern is evident, though the situation is even grimmer. While some Armenian churches in Turkey have been restored in recent years, often for political reasons, in Azerbaijan, there are virtually no functioning Armenian churches. Most have been destroyed or repurposed, and in regions such as the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic and Nagorno-Karabakh, surviving Armenian sites are frequently reclassified as Albanian heritage.

The Median and Albanian Theories of Azerbaijani Ethnogenesis in the Context of Political Transformations of the 20th Century

Hayk Hakobyan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article examines the ideological formation of Azerbaijani historiography from the 1930s to the present day, focusing on the mechanisms through which the discourse of “autochthony” was constructed to present Azerbaijanis as an ancient people indigenous to the South Caucasus. It analyzes the emergence and development of the Median and Albanian theories as historical-political constructs shaped within the Soviet ideological framework and later adopted by the independent Azerbaijani state. The study demonstrates that these narratives have served primarily political rather than scholarly purposes, particularly in legitimizing the appropriation of Armenian cultural and historical heritage. Furthermore, it highlights how, in recent decades, similar ethno-genetic models have been adopted by Azerbaijan’s national minorities, who have begun constructing their own myths of “ancient statehood.” This phenomenon is interpreted as a process of “collective appropriation” aimed at replacing the region’s authentic historical memory with an artificial, politically advantageous mythology. Consequently, the article offers a critical perspective on the reconstruction of historical consciousness and the mechanisms of cultural memory manipulation in modern Azerbaijani historiography.

Anti-Armenianism in Soviet Azerbaijan: The Story of the Destruction of the Monument “Eagle” in the Village of Banants

Gohar Khanumyan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the destruction of the “Eagle” monument in the Armenian-populated village of Banants in Soviet Azerbaijan as a revealing case of state-driven anti-Armenian policy during the Soviet period. Erected in memory of 600 Armenian villagers who were killed in Great Patriotic war/World War II, the monument was designed by renowned Armenian architect Rafael Israelyan and sculptor Ara Harutyunyan. Despite being a community-funded initiative, the monument was secretly demolished in July 1969 under the directive of Azerbaijani officials, reportedly influenced by newly appointed First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev.

Drawing on archival materials from Sergey Teryan’s personal archive, the article argues that the demolition was not an isolated incident but part of a broader policy of cultural erasure targeting Armenian heritage. It analyzes both Armenian and Azerbaijani narratives surrounding the event, situating it within the larger context of Soviet nationalities policy and the long-standing erasure of Armenian presence in Azerbaijan.

Surviving Sumgait: The Pogrom of the Armenian Population Through the Eyes of Witnesses

Gayane Hovhannisyan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article aims to reveal the details of the pogroms of the Armenian population in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait from 27 to 29 February 1988, using eyewitness testimonies and oral histories. The primary sources for the study include published testimonies of survivors of the pogrom. Eyewitness accounts and narratives provide valuable information regarding the preparatory measures, nature and characteristics of the pogroms. It is important to note that the article presents the recurrent patterns of the pogrom as documented across multiple testimonies.

The research indicates that the Sumgait pogrom was preceded by large-scale anti- Armenian propaganda and incitement of hatred. The main disseminators of this campaign were Azerbaijanis who had moved to Sumgait from Soviet Armenia. During this period, the dehumanization of Armenians was manifested in comparisons of Armenians to various animals. Eyewitness testimonies attest to the existence of organized preparatory activities prior to the pogrom. These activities included the compilation of lists of Armenian residences, the preparation of instruments necessary for committing crimes, the preparation of instruments necessary for committing crimes, and the implementation of special signals and codes used by Azerbaijanis. Survivors’ accounts also confirm that during the days of massacre, the Sumgayit police and emergency medical services exhibited criminal negligence, and in some cases even facilitated the actions of perpetrators.