Trial of Soghomon Tehlirian
Encyclopedia
The "Trial of Soghomon Tehlirian" was a sensationalized trial of Soghomon Tehlirian
for the assassination of the former Grand Vizier
Talaat Pasha. The assassination was carried out in the Charlottenburg
District of Berlin
, Germany
in broad daylight and in the presence of many witnesses on March 15, 1921.
The defense attorneys made no attempt to deny the fact that Tehlirian had killed a man. It took the jury slightly over an hour to render a verdict of "not guilty". Tehlirian was tried and acquitted of all charges by the German court.
The trial examined not only Tehlirian’s actions but also Tehlirian's conviction that Talaat Pasha was the main author of the Armenian Genocide.
, who found it interesting that while Tehlirian was being tried for killing one man, someone who killed more than a million men could not be brought to justice under the international law of the time.
" (1992, dir. Henri Verneuil
) depicts Tehlirian (actor Denis Podalydès) and some events related to his trial.
The Turkish film Blood on the Wall is a highly fictional depiction of the Tehlirian's trial.
Soghomon Tehlirian
Soghomon Tehlirian was a native of Yerznka, an Armenian Evangelical survivor...
for the assassination of the former Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
Talaat Pasha. The assassination was carried out in the Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
District of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in broad daylight and in the presence of many witnesses on March 15, 1921.
Defense
Tehlirian was defended by three defence attorneys, including Dr. Kurt Niemeyer, professor of Law at Cologne University.The defense attorneys made no attempt to deny the fact that Tehlirian had killed a man. It took the jury slightly over an hour to render a verdict of "not guilty". Tehlirian was tried and acquitted of all charges by the German court.
The trial examined not only Tehlirian’s actions but also Tehlirian's conviction that Talaat Pasha was the main author of the Armenian Genocide.
Significance
The trial was an important influence on Polish lawyer Raphael LemkinRaphael Lemkin
Raphael Lemkin was a Polish lawyer of Jewish descent. He is best known for his work against genocide, a word he coined in 1943 from the root words genos and -cide...
, who found it interesting that while Tehlirian was being tried for killing one man, someone who killed more than a million men could not be brought to justice under the international law of the time.
Art
The French film "MayrigMayrig
Mayrig is a 1991 semi-autobiographical film written and directed by French-Armenian filmmaker Henri Verneuil. The film's principal cast includes Claudia Cardinale and Omar Sharif...
" (1992, dir. Henri Verneuil
Henri Verneuil
Henri Verneuil was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who enjoyed a successful career in France.-Biography:...
) depicts Tehlirian (actor Denis Podalydès) and some events related to his trial.
The Turkish film Blood on the Wall is a highly fictional depiction of the Tehlirian's trial.