The Spanish city of Lleida (Lérida) has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, following a unanimous vote during a plenary session of the city council held on January 30, 2026.
The initiative was submitted jointly by the CIEMEN (International Center for Ethnic Minorities and Nations in Catalonia) and the Armenian Ararat Association, calling for formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the establishment of an annual commemoration in Lleida. The petition was approved unanimously by the municipal council.
Under the adopted resolution, Lleida will launch an annual Armenian Genocide remembrance program starting this year. The program will open with a photo exhibition titled “Faces of Ethnic Cleansing” by photojournalist Andrew Fernandez.
Addressing the council, a representative of the Armenian community stated that more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed during the Armenian Genocide carried out in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923. She emphasized that the genocide is internationally recognized as a crime against humanity, including by the United Nations and the European Parliament.
She also noted that five autonomous parliaments in Spain, including the Parliament of Catalonia, have already recognized the Armenian Genocide, in addition to more than 48 Spanish municipalities, with Santa Coloma de Gramenet being the first to do so.
The Armenian community representative further asserted that Turkey’s direct involvement in ethnic cleansing operations in Nagorno-Karabakh represents a continuation of the Armenian Genocide.
For his part, the president of the Ararat Association stressed that recognition of the Armenian Genocide is a fundamental prerequisite for uncovering historical truth and an essential step toward building trust, dialogue, and reconciliation among peoples. He added that a just, stable, and lasting peace based on mutual respect cannot be achieved without recognition and shared historical memory.
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