This article explores the Bitlis massacre of 1895 and its aftermath with a particular focus on the role of local actors and Ottoman state elite in shaping the unfolding of this event. Through an in-depth examination of archival documents, it emphasizes the importance of local networks and dynamics in shaping the developments on the ground. Exploring the differences in the approaches of local and central Ottoman officials and political elites towards the treatment of the initiators of the massacre, the article reveals that there were explicit disputes among Ottoman authorities which were seemingly resolved after the Sultan Abdülhamid II imposed his will and ensured total impunity for the local perpetrators.