Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide
Encyclopedia
Justice Commandos against Armenian Genocide (JCAG) was a secret military organization that operated in various western nations from 1975 to 1987. It sought the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
by the Republic of Turkey and the establishment of an independent Armenia
(including the north-eastern quarter of Turkish Republic), to which end it conducted a campaign of assassinations targeting Turkish diplomats around the world.
. The fact was established as early as May 1976, when a member of JCAG was killed by his proper bomb in the headquarter of ARF in Paris
. It was confirmed when French political scientist Gaïdz Minassian was allowed to consult the archives of ARF for his doctoral thesis. In several occasions, the official newspapers of ARF, in USA, France and Lebanon justified the "armed struggle" and published official communiqués of JCAG. Such a choice has deep root in ARF's history: the party used terrorism many times, both against Ottoman Empire
and Armenians opposed to the Dashnaks, the most famous being Bedros Kapamciyan, mayor of Van, assassinated in December 1912, and archbishop Leon Tourian
, assassinated on December 24, 1933.
The legal branches of ARF fundraised to pay the lawyer costs of members of JCAG arrested. The most famous is Harry Sassounian
, sentenced to life for the assassination of Turkish general consul in Los Angeles
. According to Dashnak newspaper Asbarez (October 15, 1983), several dozens of thousands of Armenians (ARF sympathisers and militants) participated to the Sassounian solidarity groups. French ARF organized a demonstration in front of US consulate in Lyon
, in protestation against Sassounian's arrest. ARF supported also Harutyun Krikor Levonian and Alexander Elbekyan, sentenced to twenty years of prison for the assassination of Galip Balkar
, Turkish ambassador in Belgrade
, both by money and statements of support; and Max Hraïr Kilndjian, sentenced to two years of jail as an accessory in the attempt of murder against Turkish ambassador in Switzerland
.
In 1982, an attempt to bomb the building of Turkish consulate in Philadelphia was stopped just in right time by the FBI; the leader of the group, Vicken Hovsepian, is sentenced to 6 years of jail, a sentence confirmed in appeal. Vicken Hovsepian is now the main leader of ARF in USA. In January 2001, another leader of American ARF, Mourad Topalian, was sentenced to 37 months of jail for illegal storing of war weapons and explosives, in the benefice of JCAG.
JCAG's activities were concentrated in Europe
an and North America
n countries targeting Turkish
interests.
(ARA)" Like before, the Dashnak press published communiqués of ARA as well as articles to support its terrorist acts.
The ARF organizes every year ceremonies in honor of the five ARA militants who attacked the Turkish embassy in Portugal, especially in Glendale, Los Angeles
, in New Jersey
, Beirut
, Paris
and Décines-Charpieu
.
After that the three ARA perpetrators of attack against Turkish embassy in Ottawa
were sentenced to life with no possibility of parole for 25 years, ARF slammed the verdict.
Under the name of "Greek-Bulgarian-Armenian Front", the JCAG perpetrated the bombing of Melbourne's Turkish consulate
(the Dashnak Levon Demirian was sentenced for this crime and served 10 years in prison) and the bombing of Brisbane's mail sorting facility, on January 19, 1987.
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
by the Republic of Turkey and the establishment of an independent Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
(including the north-eastern quarter of Turkish Republic), to which end it conducted a campaign of assassinations targeting Turkish diplomats around the world.
Affiliation with Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The JCAG were the military branch of Armenian Revolutionary FederationArmenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
. The fact was established as early as May 1976, when a member of JCAG was killed by his proper bomb in the headquarter of ARF in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It was confirmed when French political scientist Gaïdz Minassian was allowed to consult the archives of ARF for his doctoral thesis. In several occasions, the official newspapers of ARF, in USA, France and Lebanon justified the "armed struggle" and published official communiqués of JCAG. Such a choice has deep root in ARF's history: the party used terrorism many times, both against Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and Armenians opposed to the Dashnaks, the most famous being Bedros Kapamciyan, mayor of Van, assassinated in December 1912, and archbishop Leon Tourian
Leon Tourian
Archbishop Leon Tourian was the primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, assassinated in New York by his political opponents on Christmas Eve, 1933.- Preceding events :...
, assassinated on December 24, 1933.
The legal branches of ARF fundraised to pay the lawyer costs of members of JCAG arrested. The most famous is Harry Sassounian
Harry Sassounian
Harry M. Sassounian is currently serving a life sentence for the 1982 assassination of Turkish Consul General Kemal Arikan.The jury determined that Sassounian, an Armenian immigrant formerly of Pasadena, California, member of Armenian Youth Federation and Justice Commandos Against Armenian...
, sentenced to life for the assassination of Turkish general consul in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. According to Dashnak newspaper Asbarez (October 15, 1983), several dozens of thousands of Armenians (ARF sympathisers and militants) participated to the Sassounian solidarity groups. French ARF organized a demonstration in front of US consulate in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, in protestation against Sassounian's arrest. ARF supported also Harutyun Krikor Levonian and Alexander Elbekyan, sentenced to twenty years of prison for the assassination of Galip Balkar
Assassination of Galip Balkar
The assassination of Galip Balkar refers to the murder of the Turkish ambassador to Yugoslavia, Galip Balkar, on March 9, 1983.-Incident:Two Armenian gunmen opened fire with small firearms on his car, which stopped for a red light at a major downtown intersection in Belgrade. Balkar, 47, and his...
, Turkish ambassador in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, both by money and statements of support; and Max Hraïr Kilndjian, sentenced to two years of jail as an accessory in the attempt of murder against Turkish ambassador in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In 1982, an attempt to bomb the building of Turkish consulate in Philadelphia was stopped just in right time by the FBI; the leader of the group, Vicken Hovsepian, is sentenced to 6 years of jail, a sentence confirmed in appeal. Vicken Hovsepian is now the main leader of ARF in USA. In January 2001, another leader of American ARF, Mourad Topalian, was sentenced to 37 months of jail for illegal storing of war weapons and explosives, in the benefice of JCAG.
JCAG's activities were concentrated in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n countries targeting Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
interests.
Other names
In 1983, the JCAG took the name of "Armenian Revolutionary ArmyArmenian Revolutionary Army
The Armenian Revolutionary Army was a paramilitary organization, thought to be renamed from the group "Justice Commandos against Armenian Genocide". ARA attacked at least 7 times resulting in at least 6 fatalities and 8 injuries; its last attack occurred in 1985...
(ARA)" Like before, the Dashnak press published communiqués of ARA as well as articles to support its terrorist acts.
The ARF organizes every year ceremonies in honor of the five ARA militants who attacked the Turkish embassy in Portugal, especially in Glendale, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Décines-Charpieu
Décines-Charpieu
Décines-Charpieu is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-People:* Cédric Bardon - footballer* Jean Djorkaeff - footballer* Youri Djorkaeff - footballer* Abdelkader Ghezzal - footballer* Kamel Ramdani - footballer...
.
After that the three ARA perpetrators of attack against Turkish embassy in Ottawa
1985 Turkish embassy attack in Ottawa
The 1985 Turkish embassy attack was an attack on the Turkish embassy in Ottawa, Canada, on March 12, 1985.-The attack:The storming of the embassy began shortly before 7 a.m., when three terrorists in a rented moving truck arrived at the embassy gate. They scaled the security gate and began shooting...
were sentenced to life with no possibility of parole for 25 years, ARF slammed the verdict.
Under the name of "Greek-Bulgarian-Armenian Front", the JCAG perpetrated the bombing of Melbourne's Turkish consulate
Melbourne Turkish consulate bombing
The Melbourne Turkish consulate bombing was an attempt to bomb the Turkish Consulate in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on 23 November 1986. A car bomb exploded in the basement parking lot, killing Hagop Levonian, one of the bombers....
(the Dashnak Levon Demirian was sentenced for this crime and served 10 years in prison) and the bombing of Brisbane's mail sorting facility, on January 19, 1987.
Attacks
Only attacks with fatalities are listed below:- October 22, 1975: Turkish Ambassador to AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Daniş TunalıgilDanis TunaligilHüseyin Daniş Tunalıgil was a Turkish diplomat. He was assassinated by JCAG in 1975 during his duty as the Turkish ambassador to Austria.-Life and career:...
, was assassinated in his office.
- October 24, 1975: Turkish Ambassador to FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, İsmail Erezİsmail Erezİsmail Erez was a Turkish diplomat who held several high ranking posts in the Turkish Foreign Service.-Life and career:...
, was assassinated in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France. His car's driver Talip Yener was also killed in the attack.
- May 29, 1977: a double bombing in IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
killed five persons and wounded 64.
- June 9, 1977: Turkey's VaticanHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
Ambassador, Taha CarımTaha CarimTaha Carim was a Turkish diplomat who held several high ranking posts in Turkish foreign service and was assassinated by Armenian terrorists from JCAG.-Biography:...
, was assassinated in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
- June 2, 1978: Turkish Ambassador to SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Zeki KuneralpZeki KuneralpZeki Kuneralp was a Turkish diplomat, who rose to the highest offices in his country's foreign ministry despite having been brought up as an exile in Switzerland, after the murder of his father, a pro-British journalist and politician, during the Turkish War of Independence...
's car was attacked in MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain. His wife Necla, the retired Turkish Ambassador Beşir Balcıoğlu and the Spanish driver Antonio Torres lost their lives. Zeki Kuneralp survived since he was not in the car. Pro-Armenian writer Christopher Walker wrote that Armenian military campaign, "as with all terrorism, often murdered shockingly inappropriate people, such as the wife of Zeki Kuneralp, whose family had been instrumental in seeking rapprochement between the different nationalities of post-Ottoman Turkey".
- October 12, 1979: Ahmet Benler, son of the Turkish Ambassador to the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Özdemir Benler was assassinated in the HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The attack was claimed at the same time also by the ASALAArmenian Secret Army for the Liberation of ArmeniaThe Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia or ASALA was an Armenian nationalist militant organization, that operated from 1975 to 1986. The group also operated under other names such as The Orly Group and the 3 October Organization...
.
- December 22, 1979: Turkish attachéAttachéAttaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
for tourism in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Yılmaz Çolpan, was assassinated in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France.
- February 6, 1980: Turkish Ambassador to SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Doğan TürkmenDogan TurkmenDoğan Türkmen is a former Turkish diplomat.He served in Lagos as ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Nigeria from January 28, 1969, to December 16, 1971....
was attacked in Bern, Switzerland. Türkmen escaped with minor wounds.
- December 17, 1980, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Two gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed the Turkish consul- general and his bodyguard ... The consul, Sarik Ariyak, had received a death threat that day, and took it seriously enough to swap cars with his bodyguard. The motorcyclists opened fire on the bodyguard, then realizing they had not hit their intended target, caught up with Mr. Ariyak's fleeing car and fired several shots through the windshield, killing him instantly. No one was apprehended. In their phone call to the newspaper, the assassins said they would continue to attack Turkish diplomats and Turkish institutions.
- January 28, 1982: Turkish consul general Kemal Arıkan was shot to death in his car as he sat at a stoplight in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Four people were taken into custody; Harry SassounianHarry SassounianHarry M. Sassounian is currently serving a life sentence for the 1982 assassination of Turkish Consul General Kemal Arikan.The jury determined that Sassounian, an Armenian immigrant formerly of Pasadena, California, member of Armenian Youth Federation and Justice Commandos Against Armenian...
, 19 at the time of the killing, was later convicted of first degree murder. The jury found that Sassounian killed Arikan "because of his nationality", leading to a sentencing of life in prison without possibility of paroleParoleParole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
. In 2002, the sentence was changed in life with no possibility of parole during 25 years, but Sassounian's demand of parole were rejected in 2006 and 2010 An accomplice, believed to be Krikor (Koko) Saliba, is still at large.
- May 4, 1982: Police sought the Armenian assassin who shot New England's honorary Turkish consul general in Somerville, Massachusetts, Orhan Gündüz, whose import shop in Cambridge was the target of a previous attack, was shot by a man dressed in a jogger's outfit, as he sat in his car.
- June 27, 1982: Turkish administrative attaché, Erkut Akbay in LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, was assassinated outside his home on the outskirts of the city as he returned home for lunch. His wife, Nadide Akbay, was also shot in the head as she sat beside him. Nadide Akbay died after eight months in coma on January 11, 1983.
- August 27, 1982: Atilla AltıkatAtilla AltikatColonel Atilla Altikat was the Turkish military attaché to Ottawa, Canada, who was assassinated in 1982. The Armenian group, Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide, claimed responsibility for the attack. The act was forcefully condemned by the Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau.Before...
, Turkish military attachéMilitary attachéA military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was assassinated in OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada.
- September 9, 1982: Bora Süelkan, attaché to the Turkish consulate of Burgas (Bulgaria) was assassinated.
- March 9, 1983, YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. "Turkish Ambassador Galip BalkarGalip BalkarGalip Balkar was a Turkish diplomat. He was assassinated by two Armenian terrorists in 1983 during his duty as the Turkish ambassador to Yugoslavia.-Life and career:...
died of wounds received when two gunmen shot him in an ambush in central BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. An armed clash between the guerrillas and police ensued and one of the guerillas was wounded. Both guerrillas, who claim to belong to an Armenian paramilitary organization, were eventually apprehended. A Yugoslav passerby was killed during the clash, while a female student and a Yugoslav officer who was trying to capture the assailants were wounded. The Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide claimed credit for the attack.
- July 14, 1983, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
: the administrative attaché of Turkish embassy, Dursun Aksoy, was assassinated in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
- July 27, 1983, Portugal: during the suicide attack against Turkish embassy in Lisbon1983 Turkish embassy attack in LisbonThe 1983 Turkish embassy attack was an attack on the Turkish embassy in Lisbon on 27 July 1983, which resulted in death of 7 people, including all 5 attackers.-Background:...
, the five perpetrators, a Portuguese policeman (Manuel Pacheco) and the wife of Turkish chargé d'affaires, Cahide Micioglu, were killed; another Portuguese policeman was seriously wounded.
- June 20, 1984, Austria: the trade and labor attaché to Turkish embassy, Erdogan Ozen, was assassinated in the explosion of his car
- September 3, 1984, Turkey: two ARA militants are killed in front of Topkapi PalaceTopkapi PalaceThe Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
by their proper bomb, due to an error of manipulation.
- November 19, 1984, Austria: Enver Ergün, UN official, is assassinated in Vienna.
- March 12, 1985, Canada: three militants of ARA attacked the Turkish embassy in Ottawa1985 Turkish embassy attack in OttawaThe 1985 Turkish embassy attack was an attack on the Turkish embassy in Ottawa, Canada, on March 12, 1985.-The attack:The storming of the embassy began shortly before 7 a.m., when three terrorists in a rented moving truck arrived at the embassy gate. They scaled the security gate and began shooting...
, killing the Pinkerton agent Claude Brunelle, who attempted to stop them, taking 12 hostage and attempting in vain to kill the Turkish ambassador. The three criminals were sentenced to life, including 25 years without pardon.
- November 23, 1986, Australia: a Dashnak militant bombed the Turkish consulate of Melbourne, but was killed by his proper bomb; an Australian woman was wounded.
- January 19, 1987, Australia: a bomb exploded in a package at a mail sorting facility of BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and injured six people.