Soghomon Tehlirian on Trial in Minnesota
This
past August, students from 26 high schools and colleges attended
World Without Genocide's Summer Institute held at William Mitchell
College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Institute focused on
the topic of Religions and Genocide, highlighting the Armenian
Genocide, the Holocaust, and the violence being perpetrated today in
the Middle East by ISIS.
Students
participated in a mock trial of the prosecution of Soghomon Tehlirian
for the murder of Talaat Pasha. Tehlirian's trial tested
the students’ perception of justice and culminated in a jury
verdict of ‘not guilty.’ Students filled the roles of
judge, jury, prosecutor, defense attorneys, the defendant, witnesses,
and the press. Following the jury’s verdict, students and
community members who attended the mock trial learned-- many for the
first time--about Operation Nemesis and enjoyed a robust discussion
about the case and Tehlirian's actions.
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| http://editions.sigest.net/page00010163.html |
The
mock trial was prepared and coached by University of Minnesota law
student Ceena Idicula and William Mitchell School of Law graduate
Elizabeth Meske. At the conclusion of the mock trial, students
received a copy of Special
Mission Nemesis,
translated by Dr. Lou Ann Matossian, who both assisted with and
attended the mock trial. The books were a generous gift from Leroy
Erickson, President of the Armenian Cultural Organization of
Minnesota.
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| French version http://editions.sigest.net/page0001015e.html |
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Summer Institute
students with translator Matossian (front, fourth from left)
and Dr.
Ellen Kennedy, Executive Director (next to Matossian)
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