Alexander Yenikomshian

Ara-Alexander "Alec" Yenikomshian (also known as Alec or Alex Yenikomechian) is an Armenian political activist and journalist, a member of Founding Parliament secretariat, co-founder of the "Miatsum Initiative", Director of the "Monte Melkonyan" public organization, and former member of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA).

Biography Ara-Alexander Yenikomshian was born in 1955 in Beirut. In 1978 he finished the Faculty of Economy of the American University of Beirut.

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.

Yenikomshian was convicted on an illegal-explosives charge, given an 18-month suspended sentence and expelled from Switzerland.

In 1996 he moved to Armenia. Yenikomshian hosts Aylentrank on Lratvakan radio. He is a member of the Secretary of the PreParliament public organization (Armenia) and a leader of Sardarapat Movement.

Arrest In July 2016 he participated in negotiations between the Armenian National Security Service (NSS) and the representatives of Sasna Tsrer group, that held the police building in Erebuni district of Yerevan from July 17 to July 31. He has been one of the main speakers at public rallies in Yerevan in the wake of the July 17 seizure of a police building.

On July 27, 2016 Yenikomshian was arrested and held at the National Security Service detention center. Monte Melkonian's family, the Armenian Bar Association also appealed for his release.

On August 8 the prosecutor decided to change the measure of restrain for Yenikomshian and he was released from Armavir penitentiary.