Mediamax presents 100 Seconds project devoted to Armenian Genocide Centennial. The project is based on testimonies of Genocide survivors published by the National Archive of Armenia.

Amberin Zaman is a journalist, Turkey correspondent for The Economist.

For “100 seconds” project she reads an extract from Armenian Genocide survivor Sara Muradian's testimony.

National Archives of Armenia

Collection of Documents

Testimony of Survivor Sara Muradian on the Massacre at the Village of Boghanis  in Gyavash district of Van province

[1916]

Baku

When the troops entered the village the young men fled and the old people stayed.

Seven residents of the village, including my father Harutyun, gave service to them for about 20 days, and when the Van fighting began they murdered all 7 of them.

During those 20 days the troops committed all kinds of violence – plundering, beating, raping.

Three times a day they would gather us, the women, and force us to convert to Islam threatening to kill those who resisted. Khalit Bey twice offered me conversion and when I refused he pointed his rifle to my heart in order to kill me, but my children threw themselves on me and fainted. He left us and went away.

Because of that my son Ohan died of fear a few minutes later. My brother-in-law was murdered before my eyes. Two-three times a day they would gather us and take us to the field, where they would strip everyone naked and rape.

Producers: Ara Tadevosyan, Diana Yayloyan

Filming: Batuhan Durmush, Umut Bozyil

Post Production: Tumo LLC

The source of Sara Muradian's testimony: National Archives of Armenia, Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey, 1915, Testimony of survivors, Collection of documents, Yerevan-2013.

VivaCell-MTS is the general partner of 100 seconds project.