Samvel Babayan

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 (age 59)
Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh AO, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
Political partyLiberal Party
Dashink (previously)
United Homeland Party (Artsakh)
OccupationSoldier, Politician
AwardsHero of Artsakh (Renounced in 2020)
Military service
AllegianceSoviet Union Soviet Union
Republic of Artsakh
Branch/serviceSoviet Union Soviet Army
Artsakh Defense Army
Years of service1983—1985
1988—2000
2020
RankLieutenant General
Battles/wars

Samvel Andraniki Babayan (Armenian: Սամվել Անդրանիկի Բաբայան; born 5 March 1965) is an Armenian military officer and politician. He was one of the founders and main commanders of the Artsakh Defence Army during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and became a war hero among Armenians for the military victories achieved under his command.

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" until his arrest and imprisonment in 2000 on charges of attempting to assassinate Arkadi Ghukasyan, President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.[1] Babayan was released from prison early in 2004. He served as Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh from May 2020 until November 2020, when he resigned after Armenia's defeat in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.

  1. ^ Ohanian, Karine (29 September 2004). "Freeing of Karabakh Military Chief Stirs Debate". Institute for War and Peace Reporting.