Italian researcher: Armenian terrorist group ASALA orchestrated assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II

Italian researcher Ezio Gavazzani, in his book "Il Papa Deve Morire" (The Pope Must Die), claims that the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1981, was orchestrated by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA). According to Gavazzani, Turkish national Mehmet Ali Ağca acted on the direct orders of the terrorist organization when he opened fire on the Pope in St. Peter’s Square.

As reported by local media, the Italian news website Blitz Quotidiano has published an article detailing the background of this armed attack, which left a dark mark on the 1980s, per Caliber.Az.

The article states that Gavazzani conducted extensive research into hidden and obscured aspects of historical events, ultimately concluding that Armenian terrorism was behind the plot to assassinate the Polish-born Pope. The author presents documented evidence supporting his claim that ASALA was responsible for the attempt on the Pope’s life.

One of the key points highlighted in the book is that prior to the attack, Mehmet Ali Ağca allegedly met with Armenian terrorists from ASALA at the Opera café in Istanbul. Gavazzani asserts that this meeting played a critical role in planning the attack, further reinforcing his argument that ASALA was directly involved in orchestrating the plot.

"I studied 400 documents from intelligence services, the Vatican, and many other sources," Gavazzani stated in an interview with the Italian weekly magazine Gente. He emphasized that his research is based on official records and undisclosed intelligence reports.

The author also links ASALA to another high-profile crime — the 1983 kidnapping of Emanuela Orlandi, a schoolgirl from Vatican City. He asserts that ASALA was responsible for the abduction, further expanding on the organization's history of involvement in international terrorism.

The article provides a detailed overview of ASALA, explaining that the organization was founded in 1975 and functioned as a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group until 1988. It describes ASALA’s extensive terrorist activities, including the assassination of more than 30 Turkish diplomats and the wounding of many others worldwide. Due to its violent actions, ASALA was designated as a terrorist organization by the US in the 1980s.

As a reminder, on May 13, 1981, Mehmet Ali Ağca opened fire in St. Peter’s Square, striking Pope John Paul II in the hand and abdomen. The Pope was rushed to Gemelli Hospital, where he underwent a complex operation lasting more than five hours. The surgery was ultimately successful, and he survived the attack.

By Tamilla Hasanova