Varoujan Garabedian

Varoujan Garabedian (Varadjian Garbidjian) was a Syrian-born member of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA), a now-defunct paramilitary organization, named as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department in 1980's [cite book | title = Publication 10321: | chapter = | year = 1996 | author = United States Department of State ] . Garabedian was born in 1954 in Kamishli, Syria, in the family of refugees from the Armenian Genocide. For his alleged role in the July 15, 1983 bombing of the Turkish Airlines office at Orly airport in Paris, which killed 8 people and wounded 61cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |title=Armenian premier meets with released ASALA member |url=http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2001/05/070501.asp |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Vol. 5, No. 87 |date=May 7, 2001] Varoujan Garabedian was convicted by French authorities and sentenced to life in political prison on March 3, 1985. After serving 18 years in jail, he was released by French authorities in 2001, on the condition that he be expelled to Armenia .

According to Radio Liberty, "Meeting in Yerevan on May 4, 2001 with Varoujan Garabedian, a former member of ASALA (the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia), [Armenian] Prime Minister Andranik Markarian expressed his "joy" at Garabedian's release from a French jail where he served almost 18 years of a life sentence for his alleged role in the 1983 bombing of the Turkish Airlines Office at Orly airport." According to the French daily "Liberation", upon Garabedian's release "Yerevan Mayor Robert Nazarian had pledged to provide him with employment and accommodation" .

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