Samvel Babayan
Samvel Andraniki Babayan (Armenian: Սամվել Անդրանիկի Բաբայան; born 5 March 1965) is an Armenian military commander and politician from Nagorno-Karabakh. He was one of the founders and main commanders of the Artsakh Defence Army during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and became a hero among Armenians for the military victories achieved under his command.
Samvel Babayan | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Defence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic | |
| In office January 1995 – August 1999 | |
| President | Leonard Petrosyan Arkadi Ghukasyan |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Seyran Ohanyan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 March 1965 Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh AO, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Liberal Party Dashink (previously) United Homeland Party (Artsakh) |
| Occupation | Soldier, Politician |
| Awards | Hero of Artsakh (Renounced in 2020) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Soviet Army Artsakh Defense Army |
| Years of service | 1983—85 (Soviet Union) 1988—2000 (Artsakh) |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars | |
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. 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 the defeat of the Armenian side in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.