Alexander Yenikomshian
Ara-Alexander "Alec" Yenikomshian (Armenian: Ալեք Ենիգոմշյան) (also known as Alec or Alex Yenikomechian) is an Armenian political activist and journalist, co-founder of the "Miatsum Initiative", Director of the "Monte Melkonyan" public organization, and former member of ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia).
Biography
Ara-Alexander Yenikomshian was born in 1955 in Beirut. In 1978 he finished the Faculty of Economy of the American University of Beirut.[1]
He is best known for his participation in a Geneva hotel bombing on October 3, 1980, when a bomb that he was preparing together with Suzy Mahseredjian went off prematurely, leaving him blind and severing his left hand. Being the first disclosed members of ASALA, Yenikomshian and US citizen Mahseredjian were arrested. Authorities charged that the two had been waiting to be told where to plant the bomb when it exploded.[2][3]
Yenikomshian was convicted on an illegal-explosives charge, given an 18-month suspended sentence and expelled from Switzerland.[2] Mahseredjian was convicted of extorting money for the ASALA, given an 18-month suspended sentence and expelled to the United States.[2][3]
Their arrest lead to the formation of a new ASALA group called the "October 3 Group", which subsequently attacked Swiss targets in reprisal against the arrest and prosecution of Mahseredjian and Yenikomshian.[4]
In 1996 he moved to Armenia. Yenikomshian hosts Aylentrank on Lratvakan radio.[5] He is a member of the Secretary of the PreParliament public organization (Armenia).[6]
References
- ↑ Interview with Yenikomshian
- 1 2 3 Partisan of Armenian Terrorist Group Convicted On Explosives Charge. The Associated Press, February 9, 1981.
- 1 2 Avowed Terrorist Convicted On Illegal-explosives Charge. Lakeland Ledger, February 10, 1981
- ↑ My Brother's Road: An American's Fateful Journey to Armenia by Markar Melkonian
- ↑ Aylentrank
- ↑ Biography