12 Facts About Seyid Riza

Seyid Riza was an Alevi Kurdish political leader of Dersim, a religious figure and the leader of the Dersim rebellion.

Seyid Riza succeeded his father as leader after Ibrahim's death in accordance with his will.

Seyid Riza reportedly did not always comply with the demands placed upon him by the Ottomans, for instance refusing to hand over for deportation Armenians in his area of influence during the Armenian genocide.

Seyid Riza granted protection to the leaders of the Kocgiri rebellion.

Seyid Riza was tried and sentenced after a trial that lasted two weeks and consisted of three hearings.

Seyid Riza was 74 years old when the sentence was announced making him legally ineligible to be executed by hanging.

Seyid Riza did not understand his sentence until he saw the gallows.

However, Seyid Riza addressed the silence and emptiness as though the square were full of people.

Seyid Riza put the rope around his neck and kicked the chair, executing himself.

Turkish authorities used the letter as evidence that Seyid Riza rebelled against the state but never proved that the letter was in fact written by him.

Seyid Riza was buried in secret and the whereabouts of his grave remain unknown.

In 2010 a statue of Seyid Riza was erected at one of the entrances to Tunceli and the park around the statue was named after him.