Mikael Harutyunyan
Defence Minister of Armenia
In office
4 April 2007 – 14 April 2008
PresidentRobert Kocharyan
Serzh Sargsyan
Preceded bySerzh Sargsyan
Succeeded bySeyran Ohanyan
Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces
In office
1995 – 4 April 2007
PresidentLevon Ter-Petrosyan
Robert Kocharyan
Preceded byNorat Ter-Grigoryants
Succeeded bySeyran Ohanyan
Personal details
Born (1946-02-10) 10 February 1946
Sagiyan, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
NationalityArmenian
Russian
Political partyIndependent
Alma materFrunze Military Academy
Soviet Union General Staff Academy
Awardssee below
Military service
Branch/service Soviet Army
 Armenian Ground Forces
Years of service1963–2007
RankColonel General

Mikael Harutyuni Harutyunyan (Armenian: Միքայել Հարությունի Հարությունյան; born 10 February 1946) is an Armenian general who served as the Defence Minister of Armenia from 4 April 2007 until 14 April 2008. From 14 April 2008 to 24 May 2018, he served as Chief Military Inspector and advisor to the President of Armenia. From 1995 to 2007, he served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces. He currently resides in Russia and is wanted in Armenia on charges related to the violence during the 2008 Armenian presidential election protests.

Early life and career

Harutyunyan was born and grew up in the village of Sagiyan in central Azerbaijan SSR.[1][2] He graduated from the Baku Higher Combined Arms Command School in 1967. Harutyunyan served in the Soviet Armed Forces and was stationed in East Germany from 1967 to 1973. In 1976, he graduated from the reconnaissance department of Frunze Military Academy. From 1976 to 1983, he was stationed in the Transcaucasian Military District. In 1988, he graduated from the USSR Armed Forces General Staff Military Academy. He was a senior lecturer at the academy from 1988 to 1992.[2] In 1992, then President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan appointed him First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces and Chief of Operations.[1][2]

In 1994, he was promoted to the rank of major general. In 1997, he was appointed Chief of General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defence.[2] He received the rank of lieutenant general in 1996 and that of colonel general in 2002.[1][3]

Appointment as defence minister

On 26 March 2007, Defence Minister Serzh Sargsyan, was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia after the sudden death of Andranik Margaryan. The post of defence minister was vacant until 4 April 2007 when Colonel General Mikael Harutyunyan was appointed to the post of Defence Minister. Before being appointed to the post, Harutyunyan was First Deputy Defence Minister.[4]

Appointment as advisor to the President

On 14 April 2008, the newly elected president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, signed two decrees: one appointing Mikael Harutyunyan as Chief Military Inspector, and another appointing him as a presidential advisor, with the hope that his skill and experience would prove useful in the continual development of the military.[5] Harutyunyan was succeeded by Seyran Ohanyan as minister of defence.[6]

In July 2018, Harutyunyan came under investigation in connection with the violent crackdown during the 2008 Armenian presidential election protests, which occurred during his tenure as minister of defence. On 3 July 2018, he was charged with "overthrowing the constitutional order" and accused of giving permission to use the armed forces against civilians.[7] An order issued by Harutyunyan was declassifed, which barracked troops and set up and armed "special groups" before the crackdown on protestors in Yerevan. After a warrant was issued for his arrest, Harutyunyan's wife stated that her husband had gone to Russia for medical treatment. In September 2018, it was reported that Russia had removed Harutyunyan from its list of wanted suspects.[8] The Russian news agency Interfax reported that Harutyunyan has been a Russian citizen since 2002. Russian officials confirmed that Harutyunyan has Russian citizenship in December 2018; Russia's constitution forbids the extradition of Russian nationals.[9] An Armenian investigation confirmed that Harutyunyan had received Russian citizenship in 2002, at which time he was Chief of the General Staff.[10] Armenia's constitution did not allow for dual citizenship until 2006.[9] In May 2021, the charges against Harutyunyan were changed to "exceeding official authority, which negligently caused grave consequences".[11]

Personal life

He is the youngest male in a family of 5 sisters and 2 brothers. His entire family members left Azerbaijan after the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including his elder brother Vladimir, who also joined the army. According to a report by journalist Eynulla Fatullayev, Harutyunyan's sister Zoya Arutyunova currently resides in Kurdamir in central Azerbaijan, and his nephew has served in Nakhchivan in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.[12]

Awards

He is a recipient of orders and decorations of USSR, the Republic of Armenia and foreign states:[3]

  • Armenia Order of the Combat Cross, 2nd degree
  • Armenia Medal "For Services to the Fatherland", 1st degree
  • Armenia Medal "For Services to the Fatherland", 2nd degree
  • Armenia Order of Vardan Mamikonian
  • Armenia Order of Nerses the Gracious
  • Armenia Mesrop Mashtots Medal
  • Armenia Medal of Marshal Baghramyan
  • Armenia Andranik Ozanyan Medal
  • Armenia Medal "For Distinguished Service", 1st class
  • Armenia Medal "For Distinguished Service", 2nd class
  • Republic of Artsakh Order of the Combat Cross, 2nd degree
  • France Legion of Honour
  • Russia Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation"

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Top Army General Named Acting Defense Minister". Azatutyun. 5 April 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ayvazyan, H. M., ed. (2007). "Հարությունյան Միխայիլ Հարությունի" [Harutyunyan Mikhail Harutyuni]. Ով ով է․ հայեր (կենսագրական հանրագիտարան) [Who's Who: Armenians (Biographical Encyclopedia)] (in Armenian). Vol. 1. Yerevan: Armenian Encyclopedia Publishing House. pp. 635–636.
  3. 1 2 "ՀՀ ՊԱՇՏՊԱՆՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՆԱԽԱՐԱՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ - Գլխավոր". www.mil.am.
  4. ↑ "Armenia and Armenian News - YERKIR Armenian Online Newspaper". Archived from the original on 6 October 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2007.
  5. ↑ "Armenia's former Defense Minister appointed advisor to President".
  6. ↑ "RA President introduced new Defense Minister to supreme officers".
  7. ↑ Sargsyan, Lusine (2 June 2020). "Primer: Post-Revolution Criminal Cases". EVN Report. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  8. ↑ Gabrielian, Sisak (7 September 2018). "Former Armenian Defense Chief No Longer On Wanted List In Russia". Azatutyun. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  9. 1 2 Bulghadarian, Naira (25 December 2018). "Former Armenian Defense Chief's Russian Citizenship Confirmed". Azatutyun (in Armenian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  10. ↑ Bulghadaryan, Naira (15 August 2020). "Միքայել Հարությունյանը 2002-ին անձնագրավորվել է ՌԴ-ում" [Mikael Harutyunyan received a passport in the RF in 2002]. Azatutyun (in Armenian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  11. ↑ "The accusation against former Minister of Defense Mikael Harutyunyan was changed". Iravaban.net. 5 May 2021.
  12. ↑ Fatullayev, Eynulla (8 November 2020). "General Harutyunyan's sister in Kurdamir: My brother didn't know that my son was in Azerbaijani trenches' (Human tragedy)". Azeri Daily. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020.
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