Arayik Harutyunyan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arayik Harutyunyan
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| Արայիկ Հարությունյան | |
Harutyunyan in 2020
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| 4th President of Artsakh | |
| In office 21 May 2020 – 1 September 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Grigory Martirosyan Artak Beglaryan Ruben Vardanyan Gurgen Nersisyan Samvel Shahramanyan |
| Preceded by | Bako Sahakyan |
| Succeeded by | Davit Ishkhanyan (acting) Samvel Shahramanyan |
| 1st State Minister of Artsakh | |
| In office 25 September 2017 – 6 June 2018 |
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| President | Bako Sahakyan |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Grigory Martirosyan |
| 6th Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic | |
| In office 14 September 2007 – 25 September 2017 |
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| President | Bako Sahakyan |
| Preceded by | Anushavan Danielyan |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 December 1973 Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Free Motherland |
| Spouse | Kristina Harutyunyan |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Artur Harutyunyan |
| Residences | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Alma mater | Yerevan State Institute of Economy Artsakh University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Republic of Artsakh |
| Branch/service |  Artsakh Defense Army |
| Years of service | 1992–1994 |
| Battles/wars | First Nagorno-Karabakh War |
Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan (Armenian: Արայիկ Վլադիմիրի Հարությունյան; born December 14, 1973) is an Armenian politician. He served as the fourth president of the Republic of Artsakh from May 2020 to September 2023. Before becoming president, he held other important roles. He was the last Prime Minister from 2007 to 2017. Later, he became the first State Minister of Artsakh until 2018.
Harutyunyan led Artsakh during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War against Azerbaijan. During this conflict, Artsakh lost control over much of its territory. He resigned from his position on September 1, 2023. This happened during a time when Azerbaijan was blocking the main road to Nagorno-Karabakh. On October 3, 2023, he was detained by Azerbaijani authorities in Baku. Two other former Artsakh presidents were also detained with him.
Early Life and Education
Arayik Harutyunyan was born in 1973 in Stepanakert. At that time, Stepanakert was the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. This area was part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union.
Joining the Army
In 1990, he began studying at the Yerevan State Institute of Economy. Two years later, in 1992, he joined the army of the Republic of Artsakh. He fought in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. His older brother, Samvel, sadly died during this war.
University Studies
After the war, he moved to Artsakh State University. He studied economics there and graduated in 1995. He continued his studies and finished his post-graduate work in 1998.
Political Career
Harutyunyan started his career in the government in 1994. He worked at the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Artsakh. In 1997, he left the government to work in a bank until 2004.
In the National Assembly
In 2005, Harutyunyan helped create the Free Motherland political party. This party took part in the 2005 Nagorno-Karabakh parliamentary election. They won 10 out of 33 seats in the National Assembly of Artsakh. The National Assembly is like Artsakh's parliament, where laws are made. He became the leader of the Free Motherland party. He also led a special committee in the National Assembly that dealt with money and economic matters.
Becoming Prime Minister
In 2007, then-President Bako Sahakyan chose Harutyunyan to be the Prime Minister. When he became Prime Minister, he promised to improve Artsakh's economy. He also promised to make the country more democratic and fair for everyone. He said he would work to stop corruption and favoritism.
Transition to State Minister
In 2017, Artsakh changed its government system. The role of Prime Minister was removed. Harutyunyan then became the first State Minister. He resigned from this position in June 2018. This happened after some public protests in Stepanakert.
Presidency
Harutyunyan ran for president in the 2020 Artsakhian general election. He won the election and became the fourth President of Artsakh. He won in the second round of voting. His main opponent, Masis Mayilyan, withdrew from the race due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Artsakh.
First Actions as President
He officially became president on May 21. The ceremony was held in Shusha, not Stepanakert. This decision made some people in Azerbaijan unhappy. During the ceremony, he said that Artsakh and Armenia are "inseparable parts of a united national homeland." In his first week, he signed two important orders. One moved the seat of the National Assembly from Stepanakert to Shusha. The other made all university education in Artsakh free.
Leading During the 2020 Conflict
During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Harutyunyan visited the front lines. Azerbaijan claimed he was badly wounded, but he and his government denied this. On October 23, he wrote an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He asked for Russia's support for Artsakh. He mentioned Russia's long history with the region.
On October 27, he removed Jalal Harutyunyan from his role as Minister of Defense. This happened after the minister was wounded in fighting. The next day, Arayik Harutyunyan gave Jalal Harutyunyan the title Hero of Artsakh. On November 9, Harutyunyan agreed for Armenia to sign a ceasefire agreement. This agreement was made between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. He said that if the war had not stopped, Artsakh "would have lost all of Artsakh."
After the 2020 War
After the ceasefire, Harutyunyan asked Artsakh citizens to return home. He said that "Artsakh will remain Armenian." He met with General Rustam Muradov, who led the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. They discussed the peacekeeping mission.
In December 2020, Harutyunyan announced plans for a new government. He said he planned to leave politics permanently. In February 2021, his team confirmed he met with Russian and Azerbaijani officials. They discussed humanitarian issues.
In April 2022, the Armenian Prime Minister suggested Armenia might recognize Azerbaijan's control over Nagorno-Karabakh. Harutyunyan and other Artsakh officials strongly disagreed. They said Artsakh Armenians would not give up their right to self-determination. They stated it was "impossible" for Artsakh to be under Azerbaijani control.
Blockade and Resignation
In November 2022, Harutyunyan appointed Ruben Vardanyan as State Minister. Vardanyan was a wealthy Russian Armenian who had recently moved to Artsakh. This appointment made Azerbaijani authorities unhappy. In December 2022, Azerbaijan began a blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. This blocked the only road linking Artsakh to Armenia. It caused shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.
Some reports suggested a disagreement between Harutyunyan and Vardanyan. Harutyunyan dismissed Vardanyan in February 2023. He said it was for Artsakh's best interests. He denied it was because of Azerbaijan's demands. In July, Harutyunyan declared Artsakh a "disaster zone" due to the blockade. He asked international organizations and countries for help. He also asked the Armenian government not to recognize Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan.
On August 31, 2023, Harutyunyan announced his resignation as president. He formally submitted it on September 1. He explained that his staying in office might hinder talks between Artsakh and Azerbaijan. He also felt that trust in the government had decreased after the 2020 war. On September 9, Artsakh's parliament elected Samvel Shahramanyan to replace him.
Arrest
On October 3, 2023, Arayik Harutyunyan was detained by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan. He was taken to Baku. Two other former presidents of Artsakh and a former National Assembly president were also detained at the same time.
Honours and Awards
Medal "For the Liberation of Shushi" (May 8, 2003)- Order of the Combat Cross, second degree
- Order of Grigor Lusavorich (August 30, 2016)
See Also
In Spanish: Arayik Harutyunián para niños
