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.

Tim Judah is a reporter and political analyst for The Economist, and has written several books, mainly focusing on Serbia and Kosovo.

For 100 seconds project Tim Judah reads an extract from Armenian Genocide survivor Vachagan Petrosian's testimony.



National Archives of Armenia
Collection of Documents

Testimony of survivor Vachagan Petrosian on the massacre of the Armenian population of the town of Bitlis

When Jevet, the governor of Van, retreated and came to Bitlis (in July) and saw Armenians there he said to the governor of Bitlis: “So there are still Armenians here ?” He immediately ordered the census papers to be brought in and based on that list gather all males above the age of 15 and take them to the barracks. Then they would move them out of barracks in groups, take them to Dukhanashen where they would murder them and throw them into the water.

They took the others to the garden belonging to a wealthy Armenian from Bitlis, tied them to each other, made them stand in line, shot them and threw them into pits dug in advance (with many of the captives not even wounded or lightly wounded). In this way they eliminated the male population of Bitlis.

They selected the women and children they liked and converted them to Islam. The remaining women and children were also taken in groups to Sgherd, stripped on the bank of the river, murdered with daggers and thrown into river. Most of the small boys were thrown into the river alive.

Producers: Ara Tadevosyan
Filming: Rachel Judah
Post Production: Tumo LLC

The source of Vachagan Petrosian'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.