545:. He was also charged with having conspired with Levonian to commit an illegal act by having used an explosive device which would have intentionally and without lawful excuse caused damage to a building and endangered lives of others. When Demirian's home was searched, police found a notebook containing the names, addresses and movements of Turkish Embassy staff, as well as books and diagrams on electronic devices and circuitry. Police alleged they also found 174 sticks of
469:, was devastated by a car bomb. The blast occurred at 2:16 am, Melbourne time. One man, Hagob Levonian, was killed in the blast, which went off prematurely as he was setting the car bomb while Levon Demirian waited in a car nearby. The body of Levonian was found "scattered in hundreds of pieces". The men were members of a group known as the
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in the reinforced concrete wall and caused an intense fireball to strike nearby buildings, damaging about 20 buildings in the exclusive shopping and residential Toorak Road precinct of fashionable South Yarra. Within minutes of the bomb going off, police and emergency services were on the scene. They
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news agency in Sydney, an unidentified and heavily accented caller warned of further violence after reading out a list of grievances against Turkey. "There will be more," he said. Responsibility was claimed by the previously unknown "Greek-Bulgarian-Armenian Front", but it is believed that JCAG was
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tackled fires that had broken out in shops and offices. Police said a 22-year-old student who was studying on the third floor of the building when the bomb exploded escaped serious injury because she had drawn the heavy curtains, which protected her from the blast. She had only minor scratches, and
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Demerian then began a minimum 25-year sentence as the country's number-one high-risk security prisoner for masterminding
Melbourne's 1986 Turkish Consulate car bombing. After the appeal to the Supreme Court the murder conviction was overturned, and he served 10 years. As of 2006, Demerian lived in
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claimed responsibility for the assassination and despite a $ 250,000 reward offer by the
Turkish Embassy, no charges were laid, and their assassins remained at large. In the 1970s and 1980s, Turkish diplomats were considered the second-greatest security risk worldwide, after Americans. Until 1986,
552:
The prosecutor
Dickson told the jury the accused and his accomplice traveled from Sydney to plant the bomb. The bomb was intended to go off on Monday morning when people arrived for work, by which time the two men would be back in Sydney. Police believed many more would have died if the bomb,
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also sentenced him to 10 years on the conspiracy charge and ordered it to be served concurrently with the life sentence for murder. He was refused bail because it was feared that
Demirian, if granted bail, would leave the country. At the time of his arrest he was carrying an air ticket to
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said the
Government would review diplomatic security procedures following the bombing. He condemned the bombing "in the strongest possible terms", and said Australia's regret at the incident had been conveyed to the Turkish government. "Australia would not tolerate acts of
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The consulate bombing was not the first time
Demirian had come to the attention of investigators. In 1980 he was questioned over the assassination of Turkish consul-general Sarik Ariyak and his bodyguard in Sydney. They died in a hail of
446:. On 14 July, another Armenian, Agop Magarditch, apparently panicking after hearing of Keverian's arrest, reported weapons in a shipment of furniture and personal items en route to him from Los Angeles. The shipment was intercepted and a
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jury found
Demirian guilty on both the murder and conspiracy charges. On 27 November 1987 Demirian was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 25-year minimum, which had to be served in full under the law of the state of Victoria.
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This was a second
Armenian attack on Turkish diplomats and agencies in Australia. In 1980, in a local example of a much wider international campaign, two Turkish officials, the Turkish Consul-General in
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evacuated the area up to 100 metres (330 ft) from the bomb site, including elderly women from a war widows' home. Gas leaking from the consulate building was brought under control, and 70
197:
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said there was concern that
Victoria had become part of the international terrorist circuit. A special task force of more than 20 police was set up to investigate the bombing.
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450:, five pistols and ammunition were found, with information on how to carry out an assassination. ASIO believes that this delayed the consulate attack for three years.
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The 4-kilogram (8.8 lb) device severely damaged the five-storey building in which the consulate was one of several tenants, blasted a
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at the restaurant where
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Demirian fled back to Sydney with his wife and child the morning after and returned to a restaurant his family operated in
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exploded in the basement car park, killing Hagop Levonian, one of the bombers, who was a member of the
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Demirian admitted being in Melbourne at the time of the explosion and admitted purchasing the white
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Francis P. Hyland. Armenian terrorism: the past, the present, the prospects. Westview Press, 1991.
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intercepted JCAG member, Krikor Keverian, with four handguns in his baggage when returning from
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since the 1980 assassination of the Turkish consul, but the guard was withdrawn in 1985.
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525:, wherever they occurred", he said. State Minister for Police and Emergency Services
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which was used to place the bomb under the consulate only hours before the blast.
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Levon Demirian, an Armenian-Australian restaurateur of the Sydney suburb of
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The federal police had the consulate, on the first floor, under 24-hour
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Supreme Court of Victoria. R v Demirian VicRp 10; VR 97 (3 June 1988)
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and planned the bombing as a political protest in retaliation for the
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Nicholson, Brendan. ASIO detected bomb plot by Armenian terrorists.
541:, was charged with murdering Hagob Levonian of the Sydney suburb of
426:, and his 28-year-old bodyguard were gunned down by two people. The
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detonated at night, had gone off during the day, as intended.
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Group warns of further attacks as police seek blast centres.
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Terrorist attacks attributed to Armenian militant groups
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Turk consulate's address found in notebook: police.
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465:In 1986 the Turkish Consulate at 44 Caroline St,
658:. Accessed: 2012-06-04. (Archived by WebCite at
869:Terrorist incidents in Australia in the 1980s
433:42 Turkish diplomats were killed by militants
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27:Terror attack in 1986 in Melbourne, Australia
8:
849:Attacks on diplomatic missions in Australia
428:Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide
370:
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198:Sydney Yugoslav General Trade and Tourist
169:
31:
210:Sydney Israeli consulate and Hakoah Club
829:Attacks on diplomatic missions of Turkey
763:, Victoria Police, December 2006. pp 13.
701:Terror Group Says It Will Strike Again.
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308:
300:Australian aeroplane terror plot (2017)
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814:Terrorist incidents in Oceania in 1986
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295:Holsworthy Barracks terror plot (2009)
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582:After five hours of deliberation the
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834:Car and truck bombings in Australia
384:Melbourne Turkish consulate bombing
35:Melbourne Turkish consulate bombing
18:Melbourne Turkish consulate bombing
799:Turkish Consulate Bombing. S03 E04
686:Security stepped up in Australia.
331:Designated terrorist organisations
247:Queanbeyan stabbing attacks (2017)
25:
884:November 1986 events in Australia
616:Terror trails on the home front.
471:Armenian Revolutionary Federation
407:Armenian Revolutionary Federation
326:Anti-terrorism legislation (2005)
321:Anti-terrorism legislation (2004)
864:Terrorist incidents in Australia
262:Melbourne stabbing attack (2018)
232:Endeavour Hills stabbings (2014)
222:Turkish consulate bombing (1986)
839:1986 in international relations
227:French consulate bombing (1995)
874:Building bombings in Australia
343:Counter-terrorism raids (2014)
272:Wakeley church stabbing (2024)
157:
1:
217:Russell Street bombing (1986)
672:Terror Returns To Australia.
515:Minister for Foreign Affairs
290:Sydney terrorism plot (2005)
205:Sydney Hilton bombing (1978)
772:Bomber lives among us now.
579:passenger of a motorcycle.
501:In a telephone call to the
386:was an attempt to bomb the
267:Wieambilla shootings (2022)
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844:Australia–Turkey relations
242:Parramatta shooting (2015)
744:"Terror Attack in Toorak"
733:. 28 November 1986 Friday
642:. 24 November 1986 Monday
475:genocide of the Armenians
401:, on 23 November 1986. A
257:Mill Park stabbing (2018)
859:1986 crimes in Australia
149:Hagop Levonian (killed)
699:Sydney Morning Herald.
670:Sydney Morning Herald.
498:by ambulance officers.
237:Lindt Cafe siege (2014)
795:Forensic Investigators
720:, 9780813381244, p.223
183:Terrorism in Australia
77:37.83826°S 144.98827°E
690:. 25 June 1993 Friday
575:bullets fired by the
252:Brighton siege (2017)
200:Agency bombing (1972)
160: of participants
133:4 kg bomb device
761:Police Life Magazine
620:, 25 September 2001.
506:behind this attack.
503:Agence France-Presse
82:-37.83826; 144.98827
655:. 2012-06-04. URL:
399:Victoria, Australia
141:1 (one perpetrator)
73: /
48:Victoria, Australia
879:Explosions in 1986
854:1980s in Melbourne
819:Crime in Melbourne
618:The Canberra Times
533:Trial and sentence
438:On 12 July 1983,
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309:Counter-terrorism
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96:23 November 1986
16:(Redirected from
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189:Notable attacks
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653:The Australian
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527:Race Mathews
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455:surveillance
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424:Şarık Arıyak
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146:Perpetrators
29:
754:16 February
573:machine gun
518:Bill Hayden
477:in 1915 in
467:South Yarra
444:Los Angeles
316:Legislation
124:car bombing
119:Attack type
98:2.16 a.m. (
80: /
68:144°59′18″E
55:Coordinates
808:Categories
774:Herald Sun
718:081338124X
688:Herald Sun
604:References
543:Willoughby
461:The attack
413:Background
65:37°50′18″S
558:Lane Cove
547:gelignite
523:terrorism
395:Melbourne
391:Consulate
113:Consulate
44:Melbourne
600:Sydney.
511:Canberra
403:car bomb
175:a series
173:Part of
40:Location
577:pillion
491:firemen
409:(ARF).
388:Turkish
130:Weapons
111:Turkish
716:
594:Beirut
565:Torana
539:Epping
486:crater
479:Turkey
420:Sydney
138:Deaths
107:Target
496:shock
337:Raids
756:2020
714:ISBN
440:ASIO
382:The
100:AEST
93:Date
509:In
393:in
158:No.
810::
797:.
679:^
625:^
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560:.
513:,
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435:.
422:,
397:,
177:on
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758:.
661:)
371:e
364:t
357:v
164:2
102:)
20:)
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