Samvel Babayan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samvel Babayan
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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 a key leader of the Artsakh Defence Army during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. He became known as a war hero for the military successes achieved under his command.
After the war, he served as the Defense Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 2000. During this time, Babayan became a very powerful figure in Karabakh. He was later arrested and imprisoned in 2000. He was released early in 2004. From May to November 2020, he was the Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh. He resigned after the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Military Service
Samvel Babayan was born on March 5, 1965, in Stepanakert. This city is in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. He finished school in Stepanakert in 1982.
From 1983 to 1985, he served in the Soviet military in East Germany. Before the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, he worked as a mechanic and at a café.
Role in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War
In 1988, Samvel Babayan joined a military group. He quickly rose to lead his own unit. From 1989 to 1991, he commanded the Stepanakert Second Volunteers Company. He was also part of the Stepanakert underground central headquarters.
In 1991, he was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities. This was because of his military activities. However, he was released the same year in a prisoner exchange. Babayan became very important during the military part of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (1991–1994).
He helped plan Armenian military actions in Karabakh. He also took part in planning the capture of Shusha. He was the commander of the Lachin front. In 1993, he became the Commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army. This happened after his predecessor, Serzh Sargsyan, became Armenia's Defense Minister.
Under Babayan's leadership, the Karabakh 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. This agreement ended the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Post-War Leadership and Challenges
After the war, Samvel Babayan became a very influential person in Nagorno-Karabakh. He used his position to gain land and businesses. He also had special tax benefits.
When Nagorno-Karabakh's president, Robert Kocharyan, became prime minister of Armenia, Babayan's influence grew even more. He played a role in important political discussions. He spoke against a plan to return some territory to Azerbaijan. This plan was proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group. His strong opposition contributed to the resignation of Armenia's president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Later, leaders in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh decided to limit Babayan's growing power. In December 1999, he had to step down as the commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army.
On March 22, 2000, Babayan was arrested. This was related to a serious incident involving Arkadi Ghukasyan, who was the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The president was seriously injured but survived. After Babayan's arrest, authorities took control of his properties and businesses. Many officials loyal to him were also removed from their positions.
Babayan was tried in court. The trial began in September 2000 and ended in February 2001. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He also lost some of his awards and military ranks. While in prison, his health became very poor. He was released early, in September 2004, because of his health.
Later Political Activities
In November 2005, Samvel Babayan started a political party called Dashink ("Alliance"). However, this party did not achieve much success.
Babayan returned to Armenia in May 2016. This was after major clashes happened on the Nagorno-Karabakh border. He stated that he always cared about his country's security. He also said he understood the military situation well.
Before the 2017 Armenian parliamentary election, Babayan supported a political group. In March 2017, he was arrested again. This time, it was on charges related to smuggling. He was sentenced to six years in prison in November 2017. However, he was released 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 May 29, 2020, he was appointed Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh.
Role in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Babayan helped organize Karabakh Armenian reserve soldiers. He also helped plan some military operations. After the war, Babayan said he was involved in planning the defense of Shusha. He mentioned that some military units did not follow their orders.
On November 10, 2020, he resigned from his position as Security Council Secretary. He also gave up his title of Hero of Artsakh. This was because of the terms of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement. He criticized the leaders of Armenia and Artsakh for the outcome.
Founding the Liberal Party
In April 2021, Babayan announced he would take part in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary election. He ran as the prime ministerial candidate for the Liberal Party. He had founded this party in March 2021. The party received 1.17% of the votes. This was below the 5% needed to enter parliament.
Personal Information and Awards
Samvel Babayan has received several military ranks. These include lieutenant colonel (1992), colonel (1993), major general (1994), and lieutenant general (1996). He was awarded the Golden Eagle medal in 1997. He was also declared a Hero of Artsakh, but he later gave up this title.
He is married and has three children. His brother, Karen Babayan, used to be the Mayor of Stepanakert. He also served as the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
See also
