Edward Joris

Edward Joris (1876–1957) was a Belgian Flemish anarchist who was involved in the 1905 bombing in Constantinople known as the Yıldız assassination attempt, which was directed against the Sultan Abdul Hamid II as a retribution for the Hamidian massacres. Through his anarchism, he took an interest in anticolonialism and became involved in the attempt with his wife, Anna Nellens, after meeting two leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Vramshabouh Kendirian and one of the founders of the organization, Christapor Mikaelian. He was sentenced to death, which triggered a significant protest movement in Belgium, involving both the Walloons and the Flemish, drawing comparisons to the Dreyfus Affair in France, with numerous political interventions advocating for his release. Supporters of his release were referred to as "Jorisards" and, while connected to the French Dreyfusards, they managed to secure his release by exerting pressure on both French and Belgian authorities. Edward Joris was sent back to Belgium a few years later. He died in 1957 in Antwerp.