Does anyone know who Levon Demirian and Mourad Topalian is ?

Question

I'll give you a clue they are both Armenian Intellectuals with great achievments, very clever men indeed.

R v Demirian [1989] VR 97 at 123-124

Demirian (1988) 33 A Crim R 441

http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terror2000_2001.htm

Answer 1

Yes one Levon Demirian blew up his friend trying to blow up the Turkish Consulate in Melbourne and the other almost blew up a school where he was hiding explosives nearby. Topalian was also the President of the ANCA and was awarded a prize by the Armenians approximately two days before he got sentenced for terrorism related offences.

In the Demirian Case the Judges stated the following;-

In a joint judgment, McGarvie and O'Bryan JJ said:

"The type of activity engaged in by the applicant and others is rare in this country but terrorist acts are commonplace in the country from whence the applicant emigrated to Australia. Unless courts in this country are vigilant in imposing condign sentences for such conduct evil-minded persons might seek to emulate this conduct. The conduct of the applicant in conspiring with others to endanger life and cause serious injury to property by detonating an explosive substance beneath the Consulate brought shame to this country when the bomb exploded. The Turkish nation is a friendly power and members of the Turkish community now assimilated into Australian society were affronted by this evil deed. The heinousness of the crime is accentuated by the fact that the applicant abused the sanctuary this country offered him.

When a crime of such notoriety and heinousness is committed in the name of a political cause this Court is not required to fix a minimum term. The political nature of the offence and its seriousness render the fixing of such a term inappropriate. A sentence imposed in these circumstances should be exceptional to mark the seriousness with which the crime is viewed and therefore no minimum term should be fixed." (1988 33 A Crim R at p 474)
58 Tadgell J agreed, in relation to that aspect of the appeal (at p 481).