Samvel Babayan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samvel Babayan
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Babayan in 2017
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| Minister of Defence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic | |
| In office January 1995 – August 1999 |
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| President | Leonard Petrosyan Arkadi Ghukasyan |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Seyran Ohanyan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 March 1965 Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh AO, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Liberal Party Dashink (previously) United Homeland Party (Artsakh) |
| Occupation | Soldier, Politician |
| Awards | Hero of Artsakh (Renounced in 2020) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union Republic of Artsakh |
| Branch/service | Soviet Army Artsakh Defense Army |
| Years of service | 1983–1985 1988–2000 2020 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars |
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Samvel Andraniki Babayan (Armenian: Սամվել Անդրանիկի Բաբայան; born 5 March 1965) is an Armenian military officer and politician. He was one of the people who helped start and lead the Artsakh Defence Army during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. Many Armenians saw him as a war hero because of the important military wins achieved under his leadership.
After the war, he served as the Defense Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 2000. During this time, Babayan became very powerful in Karabakh. He was not just a military leader but also had a lot of influence over the government and economy. He was later arrested and imprisoned in 2000. Babayan was released from prison in 2004. He served as Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh from May 2020 until November 2020. He resigned after Armenia's defeat in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Contents
Samvel Babayan's Life Story
Early Years
Samvel Babayan was born on 5 March 1965 in Stepanakert. This city was part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in the Azerbaijan SSR at the time. In 1982, he finished school in Stepanakert. From 1983 to 1985, he served in the Soviet military in East Germany. Before the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, Babayan worked as a mechanic and at a café.
Role in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War
In 1988, Samvel Babayan joined a military group and soon became a commander. From 1989 to 1991, he led the Stepanakert Second Volunteers Company. He was also a member of the secret central headquarters in Stepanakert. In 1991, Azerbaijani authorities arrested him for his military activities. However, he was released later that year in an exchange.
Babayan became well-known during the main fighting of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, from 1991 to 1994. He helped plan and lead Armenian military actions in Karabakh. He was involved in the plan to capture Shusha and led the forces on the Lachin front. In 1993, Babayan became the Commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army. This happened after the previous commander, Serzh Sargsyan, became Armenia's Defense Minister.
Under Babayan's command, the Karabakhi military won many important battles. They gained control over most of Nagorno-Karabakh. They also took control of parts of seven districts in Azerbaijan. Babayan was one of the people who signed the 1994 ceasefire agreement. This agreement officially ended the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
After the War and Legal Issues
After the war, Samvel Babayan became a very powerful person in Nagorno-Karabakh. He gained a lot of influence in the region's politics and economy. He used his position to get land and businesses.
When Nagorno-Karabakh's president Robert Kocharyan left to become prime minister of Armenia, Babayan's influence grew even more. In June 1998, he caused Nagorno-Karabakh's prime minister Leonard Petrosyan to resign. In January 1998, Babayan spoke strongly against a plan to return some territory to Azerbaijan. This plan was proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group. His opposition contributed to the resignation of Armenia's president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, a month later.
Babayan also started to get involved in Armenian politics. He supported a political group in the 1999 Armenian parliamentary election. After this, Armenia's prime minister Vazgen Sargsyan and President Robert Kocharyan decided to limit Babayan's growing power.
In December 1999, Babayan had to step down as the commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army. On 22 March 2000, Babayan was arrested. He was accused of a serious crime against Arkadi Ghukasyan, who was the President of Nagorno-Karabakh. The president was seriously hurt but survived. After Babayan's arrest, authorities took his property and businesses. Many officials loyal to him were also detained or removed from their jobs.
Babayan was put on trial with 15 other people. The trial began on 18 September 2000. It ended on 26 February 2001. Babayan was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He also lost some of his awards and ranks. He was released from prison on 18 September 2004, earlier than planned, because of health problems.
Political Activities After Release
In November 2005, Samvel Babayan started a political party called Dashink ("Alliance"). This party did not achieve much success.
Babayan returned to Armenia in May 2016. This was after some major fighting on the Nagorno-Karabakh border. He said he always thought about the security of his country and people. He also said he understood the military situation well.
Before the 2017 Armenian parliamentary election, Babayan supported a group led by former Armenian defense minister Seyran Ohanyan. In March 2017, Babayan was arrested again by the Armenian National Security Service. He was accused of bringing illegal items into the country. On 28 November 2017, Babayan was sentenced to six years in prison. He was released from detention after the 2018 Armenian revolution.
In September 2019, Babayan founded the United Homeland Party in Artsakh. He tried to run for president in the 2020 Artsakhian general election, but he was not allowed to participate. He then supported another candidate, Masis Mayilyan. On 29 May 2020, he was appointed Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh.
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and Beyond
During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Babayan helped organize soldiers from Karabakh. He also helped plan some military operations with the Artsakh Defense Army commander Jalal Harutyunyan. After the war, Babayan said he was involved in planning the defense of Shusha in the last week of the war. He mentioned that some groups of soldiers did not follow their orders. He also said he suggested a failed operation in October 2020. This operation aimed to stop Azerbaijani forces near Horadiz.
On November 10, 2020, he resigned as Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Security Council Secretary. He also gave up his title of Hero of Artsakh. He did this because he disagreed with the terms of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement.
Founding the Liberal Party
In April 2021, Babayan announced he would take part in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary election. He ran as the main candidate for the Liberal Party, which he started in March 2021. The party received 1.17% of all votes. This was not enough to enter parliament, as they needed at least 5%.
Awards and Family
Samvel Babayan has received several army ranks. These include lieutenant colonel (1992), colonel (1993), major general (1994), and lieutenant general (1996). He was awarded the Golden Eagle medal of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in 1997. He was also named a Hero of Artsakh, but he later gave up this title after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement. He is married and has three children. His brother, Karen Babayan, used to be the Mayor of Stepanakert and the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
See also
In Spanish: Samvel Babayan para niños
