Your trusted source

June 26 marks the 160th anniversary of  an influential Armenian writer, politician, and lawyer Krikor Zohrab.  On the occasion of the jubilee, "Aleppo" NGO is realizing “Voices of Conscience”  theatrical performance supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. The play is based on the work "Postal (The Prostitute) by Zohrab. 

The play was premiered on June 13 at Yerevan Puppet Theatre and will be staged again on June 28. As the Ministry reported, the performance is aimed at preservation and popularization of the Western-Armenian language. As part of the project, the play will tour also Armenia's regions. 

Zohrab was born into a wealthy family in Constantinople on 26 June 1861.His early education was completed at a local Armenian Catholic school. He received a civil engineering degree from Galatasaray Institute, but did not work in that field From 1908 onwards, Zohrab was a member of Ottoman Parliament and known for his eloquent speeches. He vehemently defended Armenian interests and rights inside the council and at all levels of the government. In 1909 during the Adana massacre, he strongly criticized the Turkish authorities for their actions and demanded that those responsible be brought to justice.

To serve the Armenian cause, Zohrab wrote an influential paper in French called "La question arménienne à la lumière des documents" (The Armenian question in light of documents), published in 1913 under the pseudonym Marcel Léart in Paris. It dealt with many aspects of the hardships endured by the Armenian populace and denounced the government's inaction.

At the onset of the Armenian genocide he was arrested by the Turkish government and sent to appear before a military court in Diyarbakır. En route on the outskirts of Urfa, he was murdered by a band of known brigands.