Past Events

ARMENIAN BAR ASSOCIATION CO-SPONSORS BOOK SIGNING AND LECTURE ON “THE CASE OF MISAK TORLAKIAN” BY VARTKES YEGHIAYAN

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“The Case of Misak Torlakian,” a book by Vartkes Yeghiayan, was the subject of the Glendale Public Library’s free lecture series on January 17, 2007. A capacity crowd of over 200 people packed the lecture hall to hear the author describe the book and the extensive research that went into writing the text. The event was co-sponsored by the Armenian Bar and Glendale Bar Associations.

Torlakian’s case remains one of the unique trials in criminal justice history. In 1921, the young Armenian Genocide survivor shot dead Bibhub Khan Javanshir outside the Per Palace Hotel in Istanbul. Javanshir had ordered the killing of thousands of Armenians in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Torlakian, who lost his entire family in that massacre, assassinated the Turkish ruler.

The result of his trial by a British military court resulted in a verdict of not guilty. Torlakian later moved to the United States, and lived in Montebello, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Dr. Zaven Guiragossian a noted community leader and Osheen Keshishian, editor of the Armenian Observer newspaper, knew Torlakian and offered comments about the subject of the book.

Yeghiayan went into detail about collecting data for the book, and seeking out Torlakian. The book goes into detail about Torlakian’s life, the assassination, the subsequent trial and his life after the trial. Part of the trial transcript is revealed in the text. The book provides an examination of the legal process of the British military court after the Armenian Genocide. History, theology, philosophy, psychology and politics were used by the attorneys during the trial.

Similarities to the case of Soghomon Tehlirian, who assassinated Taalat Pasha in Germany after World War I, but was also acquitted, were also examined by Yeghiayan during the lecture. The public was able to meet the author and obtain an autographed copy of the book after the lecture.

Yeghiayan is one of the lead attorneys in the Genocide reparations case, notably the case of Marootian v. NY Life, a case which resulted in a 20 million dollar settlement for descendants of the Armenian Genocide. He has spoken on a few occasions to the Armenian Bar about that case.