▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁police , ▁and ▁would ▁spend ▁eleven ▁years ▁in ▁Q as r ▁prison . ▁In ▁prison , ▁O van ess ian ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁role . ▁He ▁and ▁other ▁ja iled ▁commun ist ▁leaders ▁organized ▁cultural ▁and ▁educational ▁activities ▁for ▁other ▁in m ates . ▁In ▁j ail , ▁O van ess ian ▁studied ▁French ▁language . ▁Once ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁T ude h ▁Party ▁of ▁Iran . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Pro vis ional ▁Central ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁party . ▁After ▁his ▁release , ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁self - bi ographical ▁work ▁of ▁his ▁prison ▁or de als . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁Maj lis ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁as ▁a ▁representative ▁of ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁minor ity . ▁He ▁pres ided ▁over ▁the ▁T ude h ▁Party ▁con gress ▁held ▁in ▁August ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁O van ess ian ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁T ude h ▁Party . ▁He ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁two ▁former ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Pers ian ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁to ▁be ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁( the ▁other ▁being ▁Am ir - K h izi ). ▁He ▁also ▁became ▁a ▁leading ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁T ude h - led ▁trade ▁union ▁movement . ▁ ▁O van ess ian ▁organized ▁a ▁pe asant ▁u pr ising ▁in ▁A zer ba ij an ▁in ▁ 1 9