User:Yerevantsi/sandbox/SamvelBabayan

Samvel Babayan

Samvel Babayan (Սամվել Բաբայան; born 5 March 1965) is an Armenian military commander and politician. He became a hero during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. 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."

Early life
Babayan was born on 5 March 1965 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1982, he finished Armenian secondary school # 7 named after Eghishe Charents in Stepanakert. From 1983 to 1985, he served in the Soviet military contingent in East Germany.

Nagorno-Karabakh War
In 1988, Samvel Babayan enlisted in a paramilitary unit and rose to command his own unit and leading it professionally. From 1989 to 1991 he was the commander of the Stepanakert second Volunteers Company and a member of the Stepanakert underground central headquarters. Lieutenant General Samvel Babayan rose to prominence during the military phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in 1991-1994. Babayan carried out coordination of Armenian operations in Karabakh, participated in the development of the plan to capture Shusha and was the commander of the front of Lachin. As unified military command began to be established in Nagorno Karabakh in 1992-1993, Babayan became the Commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army in 1993, after his predecessor Serzh Sargsyan left to become Armenia's Defense Minister. Under his command, the Karabakhi military succeeded in winning a number of strategic battles against the Azerbaijani military and regained control over most of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as partially controlling 7 districts of Azerbaijan.

Samvel Babayan has been the holder of such titles as Commander of Self-Defense Forces of Nagorno-Karabakh and Minister of Defense. Babayan has been awarded with the army ranks of lieutenant colonel (1992), colonel (1993), major general (1994) and lieutenant general (1996). He has been awarded with the Golden Eagle medal of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (1997) and has been declared a Hero of Artsakh. He is married and has three children. His brother Karen is the former Mayor of Stepanakert and Minister of Internal Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

Coup attempt and imprisonment
By December 1999, Babayan was forced to relinquish his position as the Self-Defense Forces Commander. Armenian president Robert Kocharyan's precarious position in post-27 October political environment did not allow him to tackle the Babayan issue directly, leaving it to the unrecognized government of Nagorno-Karabakh under president Arkadi Ghukasyan and the new Karabakh Army leadership. On 22 March 2000, Babayan allegedly launched an assassination attempt on Arkadi Ghukasyan, leaving the president seriously wounded but alive.

At the 26 February session on the case of the 22 March 2000 assassination attempt against Arkadi Ghukasyan in Stepanakert, the sentences for the 16 defendants were read out loud. Babayan was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

1999 17 DECEMBER Babayan sacked as commander of Nagorny Karabakh armed forces.

2000 22 MARCH Assassination attempt on Gukasian in Stepanakert. Babayan arrested.

2001 26 FEBRUARY Babayan sentenced to fourteen years in jail for attack on Gukasian.

Release and return to politics
During the investigation and in jail, Babayan's health greatly deteriorated. He was said to suffer from hepatitis and other ailments which could not be treated in prison. On 18 September 2004, Samvel Babayan was released from maximum-security prison in Shusha due to health concerns, with the terms of release including a probationary period and continued disenfranchisement.

In November 2005, Samvel Babayan founded the Dashink political party with his supporters. The party did not achieve any major success.

Inactivity and return
Babayan returned to Armenia in May 2016 after a de facto exile in Moscow, shortly after major clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact. He stated, "Whether I was in Karabakh, Armenia or abroad, the security concerns of my country, my people have always been on my mind. I have the full grasp of the military situation, the problems at the frontlines and possess all necessary information."

Reputation and image
The same could be said of Samvel Babayan, a man without higher education, but with innate sense, original ideas and exceptional organisational skills.

Especially since 2001, when a local bully and racketeer, Samvel Babayan, was put in jail, Karabakh— which calls itself independent but is in practice virtually joined to Armenia-has had something recognisable as local politics and a mixed economy.

Out of the conflict two significant figures rose to power in Armenia and NagornoKarabakh: Vazgen Sarkisyan, Armenia’s first defense minister, and Samvel Babayan, the “golden hero of Artsakh” (the Armenian term for Nagorno-Karabakh).

Tensions with Ghukasyan
Two weeks ago (Jan. 7-8)–the Armenian Security Council held a meeting in Yerevan attended by the NKR’s top leadership–including Ghoukassian and Defense Minister Samvel Babayan–who in an interview last fall had suggested that new hostilities may be inevitable if a peace agreement is not signed soon.

Armenian government media published no details of the meeting–but the independent newspaper "Aravot" last week ( Jan. 14) reported that serious differences of opinion emerged within the Armenian leadership–with Kocharian and the two Sarkisians backing the Karabakh leadership in defiance of Ter-Petrosyan.

http://asbarez.com/34930/differences-on-karabakh-conflict-precipitate-crisis/

http://asbarez.com/37741/local-elections-in-karabakh-conclude/

http://asbarez.com/36930/tobacco-company-faces-competition/

http://asbarez.com/36143/ghoukassian-to-assume-duties-of-prime-minister/

http://asbarez.com/40258/karabakh-military-elite-relinquish-their-honors/

http://asbarez.com/40241/kocharian-warns-against-challenges-to-ghoukassian/

http://asbarez.com/40249/ghoukassian-consult-with-karabakh-officials/

http://asbarez.com/40231/political-tensions-escalate-in-karabakh/

http://asbarez.com/40181/bugging-scandal-said-to-cause-karabakh-firings/

http://asbarez.com/39861/pro-karabakh-bloc-alleges-threats-from-unity/

http://asbarez.com/38186/karabakh-minister-discusses-conflict-with-students/

http://asbarez.com/41676/ghoukassian-says-no-opposition-in-karabakh/

http://asbarez.com/40918/ghoukassian-tells-cabinet-to-work-as-team/

http://asbarez.com/40902/defense-chief-says-karabakh-crisis-over/

http://asbarez.com/40419/defense-interior-ministers-appointed-in-karabakh/

http://asbarez.com/40266/armenian-president-wont-be-indifferent-if-crisis-develops-in-karabakh-says-spokesperson/

http://asbarez.com/40267/kocharian-travels-to-karabakh-to-mediate-standoff-supports-ghoukassian/

http://asbarez.com/41803/karabakh-extends-martial-law-opposition-boycotts/

http://asbarez.com/42373/ghoukassian-stabilized-investigation-continues-into-assassination-attempt/

http://asbarez.com/42362/assassination-attempt-on-ghoukassian-fails-28-arrested-including-former-armed-forces-chief/

http://asbarez.com/42302/karabakh-parliament-backs-new-election-bill/

http://asbarez.com/42025/former-karabakh-army-commander-assistant-arrested/

http://asbarez.com/41871/new-union-formed-to-ward-off-opposition/

http://asbarez.com/41775/kocharian-says-oct-27-killers-mislead-inquiryfather-parsegh/

http://asbarez.com/41765/nagorno-karabakh-military-will-not-oppose-ghoukassian/

http://asbarez.com/41755/ghoukassian-fires-karabakh-army-commander-tensions-continue-to-rise/

http://asbarez.com/43782/interrogation-of-witnesses-in-march-22-case-continues/

http://asbarez.com/43762/head-of-presidential-human-rights-commission-back-from-karabakh/

http://asbarez.com/43380/march-22-defendant-cant-stand-trial-due-to-physical-mental-duress/

http://asbarez.com/42606/armenian-parliamentarians-comment-on-karabakh-elections/

http://asbarez.com/42381/interim-stepanakert-mayor-appointed/

http://asbarez.com/42388/assailants-revealed-in-ghoukassian-murder-attempt/

http://asbarez.com/42378/naira-melkumian-discusses-assassination-attempt/

http://asbarez.com/45786/former-mayor-of-stepanakert-sentenced-to-jail/

http://asbarez.com/44986/ghukasian-skeptical-about-peace-claims-success-in-karabakh-democratization/

http://asbarez.com/44505/former-karabakh-defense-minister-sentenced-to-14-years-in-prison/

http://asbarez.com/44261/physical-altercation-in-karabakh-court/

http://asbarez.com/43969/key-suspect-joins-karabakh-trial/

http://asbarez.com/41734/karabakh-prime-minister-attacked-government-blasts-babayan-for-attempt/

http://asbarez.com/41089/karabakh-parliament-rejects-prosecution-of-babayan-ally/

http://asbarez.com/40170/babayan-seen-as-likely-karabakh-prime-minister/

http://asbarez.com/36208/ghoukassian-says-babayan-being-eyed-for-premiership/

http://asbarez.com/34983/babayan-responds-to-aravot-allegations/

http://asbarez.com/36173/babayan-discusses-changes-in-karabakh/

http://asbarez.com/36200/karabakh-rally-wants-babayan-as-prime-minister/

http://asbarez.com/39671/babayan-blames-media-for-distorting-recent-radio-interview/

http://asbarez.com/41749/karabakhs-senior-officers-demand-ghoukassian-babayan-resignations/

http://asbarez.com/42804/prosecutors-call-babayans-hunger-strike-provocation/

http://asbarez.com/42452/babayan-charged-with-and-accepts-plotting-coup/

http://asbarez.com/42422/karabakhs-babayan-to-face-more-charges/

http://asbarez.com/43747/babayan-denies-murder-charges-in-court-testimony/

http://asbarez.com/43735/paskaleva-determined-to-defend-babayan/

http://asbarez.com/43737/babayan-trial-continues/

http://asbarez.com/43637/babayan-trial-begins-in-stepanakert/

http://asbarez.com/43615/karabakh-supreme-court-rejects-petition-to-move-babayan-trial/

http://asbarez.com/42435/samvel-babayan-may-be-charged-in-connection-with-march-22-attack/

http://asbarez.com/41552/samvel-babayan-denies-interference-in-armenian-politics/

http://asbarez.com/44621/gen-arkady-ter-tadevosian-urges-clemency-for-babayan/

http://asbarez.com/44240/amnesty-international-observes-violations-of-human-rights-in-cases-of-samvel-babayan/

http://asbarez.com/42774/samvel-babayan-goes-on-hunger-strike/

http://asbarez.com/42828/samvel-babayan-stops-hunger-strike/

Imprisonment
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1567220.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1567768.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1574471.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1574481.html

http://asbarez.com/47232/ghoukassian-says-building-democratic-state-is-priority/

http://asbarez.com/50702/former-karabagh-army-chief-released-from-jail/

2005-07
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1576128.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1577392.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1579200.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1582813.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1587146.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1587458.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1589059.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1590005.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1591394.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1591733.html

http://asbarez.com/55683/will-the-ramkavars-merge-with-babayan-and-bazeyan/

2008-17
http://asbarez.com/59696/mediators-renew-calls-for-karabakh-peace/

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1783097.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1598714.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28059334.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27938467.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27782139.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27784572.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27761333.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27759446.html

2017-18
https://web.archive.org/web/20180904225857/https://www.armenianow.com/en/news/politics/2016/05/26/armenia-samvel-babayan-karabakh-return-politics-security/3893/

2017 Armenian parliamentary election

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28307009.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/29291996.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/29065440.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28990212.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28883982.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28651107.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28403764.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28396538.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28386469.html

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28384674.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSOtRkJDJcg&t=20s

http://asbarez.com/172813/former-karabakh-commander-samvel-babayan-freed-by-high-court/

views
http://asbarez.com/34278/war-imminent-in-karabakh-says-babayan/

http://asbarez.com/40124/babayan-sees-azeri-illusions-to-end-conflict-by-force/