Samvel Babayan

Samvel Andraniki Babayan (Armenian: Սամվել Անդրանիկի Բաբայան; born 5 March 1965) is an Armenian military commander and politician. He became a hero during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. Following the war, he served as the Defense Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 2000. During this period, Babayan "became not only the military leader but the most powerful man in Karabakh overall, controlling its government and economy."[1]

Samvel Babayan
Minister of Defence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
In office
January 1995  August 1999
PresidentLeonard Petrosyan
Arkadi Ghukasyan
Preceded byposition established
Succeeded bySeyran Ohanyan
Personal details
Born (1965-03-05) 5 March 1965
Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
Political partyDashink
OccupationMechanic, Soldier, Politician
AwardsHero of Artsakh (Renounced in 2020)
Military service
Branch/service Soviet Army
Artsakh Defense Army
Years of service1983—85 (Soviet Union)
1988—2000 (Artsakh)
RankLieutenant General
Battles/warsFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War

Early life and military career

Babayan was born on 5 March 1965 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan SSR. In 1982, he finished Armenian secondary school # 7 named after Eghishe Charents in Stepanakert. From 1983 to 1985, he served in the Soviet military contingent in East Germany.[2]

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

In 1988, Samvel Babayan enlisted in a paramilitary unit and rose to command his own unit and leading it professionally. From 1989 to 1991 he was the commander of the Stepanakert second Volunteers Company and a member of the Stepanakert underground central headquarters. Lieutenant General Samvel Babayan rose to prominence during the military phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in 1991–1994. Babayan carried out coordination of Armenian operations in Karabakh, participated in the development of the plan to capture Shusha and was the commander of the front of Lachin.[2] As unified military command began to be established in Nagorno Karabakh in 1992–1993, Babayan became the Commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army in 1993, after his predecessor Serzh Sargsyan left to become Armenia's Defense Minister. Under his command, the Karabakhi military succeeded in winning a number of strategic battles against the Azerbaijani military and regained control over most of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as partially controlling 7 districts of Azerbaijan.

On November 10, 2020 he resigned as Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Security Council Secretary, as well as renounced to the Hero of Artsakh title due to the conditions of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, accusing both leaders of Armenia and Artsakh of treason and criminal actions.[3][4]

Arrest

By December 1999, Babayan was forced to relinquish his position as the Self-Defense Forces Commander. Armenian president Robert Kocharyan's precarious position in post-27 October political environment did not allow him to tackle the Babayan issue directly, leaving it to the unrecognized government of Nagorno-Karabakh under president Arkadi Ghukasyan and the new Karabakh Army leadership. On 22 March 2000, Babayan allegedly launched an assassination attempt on Arkadi Ghukasyan, leaving the president seriously wounded but alive.[5]

At the 26 February session on the case of the 22 March 2000 assassination attempt against Arkadi Ghukasyan in Stepanakert, the sentences for the 16 defendants were read out loud. Babayan was sentenced to 14 years in prison.[5]

During the investigation and in jail, Babayan's health greatly deteriorated. He was said to suffer from hepatitis and other ailments which could not be treated in prison. On 18 September 2004, Samvel Babayan was released from maximum-security prison in Shusha due to health concerns, with the terms of release including a probationary period and continued disenfranchisement.[5]

Politics

In November 2005, Samvel Babayan founded the Dashink political party with his supporters. The party did not achieve any major success.[6]

Babayan returned to Armenia in May 2016 after a de facto exile in Moscow, shortly after major clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact. He stated, "Whether I was in Karabakh, Armenia or abroad, the security concerns of my country, my people have always been on my mind. I have the full grasp of the military situation, the problems at the frontlines and possess all necessary information."[6]

Babayan launched a presidential campaign for the 2020 Artsakhian general election, but was disqualified from participation.[7] He later endorsed Masis Mayilyan.[8]

On May 29, 2020 he was appointed Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh.[9]

Personal information and titles

Samvel Babayan has been the holder of such titles as Commander of Self-Defense Forces of Nagorno-Karabakh and Minister of Defense. Babayan has been awarded with the army ranks of lieutenant colonel (1992), colonel (1993), major general (1994) and lieutenant general (1996). He has been awarded with the Golden Eagle medal of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (1997) and has been declared a Hero of Artsakh (he renounced the title after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement).[2][5] He is married and has three children.[2] His brother Karen is the former Mayor of Stepanakert and Minister of Internal Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

References

See also

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