Manvel Grigoryan

Lieutenant General Manvel Sektori Grigoryan (Armenian: Մանվել Սեկտորի Գրիգորյան; 14 July 1956 – 19 November 2020[1]) was an Armenian military leader and a member of the National Assembly of Armenia. At one point he was one of the highest-ranking officials in the Armenian Army, serving as Deputy Minister of Defense from 2000 to 2008. He served as the president of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union from 1999 to 2018.

Lieutenant General

Manvel Grigoryan
Grigoryan in 2018
Native name
Մանվել Գրիգորյան
Born(1956-07-14)14 July 1956
Arshaluys, Armavir Province, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union
Died19 November 2020(2020-11-19) (aged 64)
Yerevan, Armenia
Allegiance Soviet Union
 Armenia
Service/branch Soviet Army
Armed Forces of Armenia
Years of service1975–2020
RankLieutenant General
Commands heldEjmiatsin Volunteer Battalion (1992–1993)
83rd Motorized Rifle Brigade (1993–1996)
1st Army Corps (1996–2000)
Battles/warsFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War
AwardsHero of Artsakh
Children8

Early life and First Karabakh War

Manvel Grigoryan was born on 14 July 1956 in the village of Arshaluys in Armavir province. He served in the Soviet Army from 1975 to 1977. He graduated from Stepanakert State University in 1993 and Yerevan State University in 1998. During the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, he commanded Armenian forces in the defense of Hadrut, the retaking of the region of Martakert, and the capture of Fuzuli.[2][3] He commanded the Ejmiatsin Volunteer Battalion from 1992 to 1993. In 1993 he was appointed commander of the 83rd Motorized Rifle Brigade. Between 1996 and 2000 he was appointed commander of the 1st Army Corps of the Ministry of Defense and gained the rank of major general. In 1999, he became the president of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union. In 2000, Grigoryan was appointed deputy defense minister and received the rank of lieutenant general.[4]

On 18 June 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan accused Manvel of participating in Khojaly Massacre and committing other war crimes.[5] According to a report by the Hetq investigative online newspaper made in 2014, Grigoryan owned significant properties and businesses, particularly in his hometown of Arshaluys and in nearby Vagharshapat where he resided, many of which were not registered in his name and for which he did not pay the majority of taxes.[6] Human rights activists like Larisa Alaverdyan who during the years of the war in Karabakh was engaged in the exchange of prisoners accused Grigoryan of breaching Geneva Conventions.[7] Grigoryan responded that "during war nobody had time to read Geneva conventions."[8]

Politics

During the protests following the disputed 2008 Armenian presidential election, there were expectations that Grigoryan and another deputy defense minister, Gagik Melkonyan, would encourage the army and the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union to intervene in favor of the protestors led by ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosyan.[9][10] Ter-Petrosyan declared on 21 February 2008 that he had met with Grigoryan and Gagik Melkonyan and that they had agreed to join the protestors.[10] The protests were suppressed using the army on 1 March 2008, resulting in the deaths of 10 people. Then president-elect Serzh Sargsyan stated on 13 March 2008 that he was "deeply regretful and hurt that he [Manvel Grigoryan] made an attempt to enter politics and disobey his commander-in-chief."[11] On 2 April 2008, Grigoryan was dismissed from the post of deputy defense minister by President Robert Kocharyan.[11] In an interview given in 2012, Grigoryan stated that although there were people who tried to involve the Yerkrapah Union in political processes during the 2008 protests, he worked to keep the Yerkrapah Union out of politics at the time.[12]

On 6 May 2012, he was elected a deputy to the parliament from the Republican Party of Armenia.[4][13] During his tenure, Grigoryan was a close ally of Sedrak Saroyan, and the pair were described as being like "Siamese twins".[14]

Arrest

Grigoryan was arrested in Armenia on 16 June 2018 by the National Security Service at his home in Vagharshapat. He was charged with the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.[15][16] Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also claimed that he stole aid intended for frontline soldiers sent by schoolchildren during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes.[17] In his house, the National Security Service also found many weapons and ammunition including, RPG-7s, a car collection which included vehicles and ambulance cars designated for the army. Additionally, a private zoo was discovered, on which premises investigators found used cans of meat products intended for military consumption.[18] Grigoryan was standing trial at the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction on the charges of illegal possession and storage of weapons and ammunition, embezzlement of 101,232,917 AMD, evasion of 1,228,176,342 AMD taxes, misuse of 1,225,003,300 AMD state funds and the organization of misappropriation of 37,101,100 AMD worth of property accompanied by extortion.[19] He was released on a bail of 25 million AMD on 21 December 2018, but was arrested again on 22 January 2019.[20] He was released again on 15 January 2020 due to his deteriorating health, and signed an affidavit not to leave the country.[21]

Death

Grigoryan died on November 19, 2020 at the age of 64 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia.[22] Grigoryan had previously been in critical condition after being in Artsakh a week after the start of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, where he became infected with COVID-19.[23][24] Grigoryan was not buried at Yerablur in Yerevan next to Vazgen Sargsyan, which was specified as his last wish, with his former assistant saying that the funeral will be held in his native Arshaluys.[25]

Personal life

He was married to Nazik Amiryan, with whom he had 8 children, including his son Karen Grigoryan, who is the former mayor of Vagharshapat. Over the years of his service, Grigoryan has gained the following national awards:

  • Medal of “Military Cross” (1994)
  • Medal of the “Golden Eagle” (2000)
  • Hero of Artsakh (2000)
  • Medal of "Vazgen Sargsyan” (2002)

References

  1. "Մահացել է գեներալ Մանվել Գրիգորյանը". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան (in Armenian). 19 November 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  2. ռ/կ, Ազատություն (26 June 2006). "Մանվել Գրիգորյանը՝ Մարտակերտի պատվավոր քաղաքացի" [Manvel Grigoryan: honorary citizen of Martakert]. «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» Ռադիոկայան (in Armenian). Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  3. "Մահացել է Մանվել Գրիգորյանը" [Manvel Grigoryan has died]. www.1lurer.am (in Armenian). 19 November 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  4. "National Assembly of Armenia | Official Web Site | parliament.am". www.parliament.am. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  5. "Manvel Grigoryan participated in Khojaly genocide and other war crimes - Azerbaijani MFA". azvision.az. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  6. "From Army General to Affluent MP: Manvel Grigoryan Hides Income, Doesn't Pay Taxes". Hetq.am. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  7. "Human rights activists: Manvel Grigoryan violated the Geneva Conventions". RFERL (in Russian). 3 November 2014. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  8. "Генерал Григорян ответил критикам заявления о содержании им азербайджанского пленного | Epress.am" [General Grigoryan responded to critics of the statement about the keeping of an Azerbaijani prisoner] (in Russian). 2014-11-06. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  9. Hakobyan, Arus (10 August 2018). "Հարկ եղած դեպքում Մանվել Գրիգորյանը «պատասխան կտա Ռոբերտ Քոչարյանին»․ Գեներալի փաստաբան" [If needed, Manvel Grigoryan 'will give an answer to Robert Kocharyan' - the General's lawyer]. «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» Ռադիոկայան (in Armenian). Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  10. "Կարևոր վկան պետք է չեզոքացվի. գեներալ Մանվել Գրիգորյանի առեղծվածը". www.yerkir.am (in Armenian). 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  11. ռ/կ, Ազատություն (2 April 2008). "Մանվել Գրիգորյանը ազատվել է պաշտպանության փոխնախարարի պաշտոնից" [Manvel Grigoryan has been dismissed from the post of deputy defense minister]. «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» Ռադիոկայան (in Armenian). Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  12. Mesropyan, Tatev (28 September 2012). "Մանվել Գրիգորյանը մարտի 1-ից հետո առաջին անգամ մութ էջեր է բացում. Ո՞ւմ ակնկալիքները չարդարացրեց եւ ինչո՞ւ հրաժարական տվեց" [Manvel Grigoryan reveals details for the first time after March 1. Whose expectations didn't he fulfil why did he resign?]. Aravot.am.
  13. "From Army General to Affluent MP: Manvel Grigoryan Hides Income, Doesn't Pay Taxes - Hetq - News, Articles, Investigations". Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  14. "Deputies Grigorian and Saroyan have serious health problems". Aysor.am. September 10, 2013. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  15. "Etchmiadzin: Manvel Grigoryan and Artur Asatryan Arrested on Illegal Arms Charges". Hetq.am. 16 June 2018.
  16. "Sharmazanov on Manvel Grigoryan's Arrest: "They're making the Turks happy"". Hetq.am. 17 June 2018.
  17. "Pashinyan: There are doubts that Manvel Grigoryan stole aid of schoolchildren during April war". news.am. 14 October 2023.
  18. "Manvel Grigoryan's "Hidden Assets": Law Enforcement Uncovers Mini Arsenal and Supplies Destined for Armenian Troops in "Four Day War"". Hetq.am. 17 June 2018.
  19. "Մանվել Գրիգորյանի խափանման միջոց կալանքը փոխվեց չհեռանալու մասին ստորագրությամբ". Hetq.am (in Armenian). 15 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  20. Khachatryan, Marine (22 January 2019). "Մանվել Գրիգորյանը կրկին կկալանավորվի" [Manvel Grigoryan will be arrested again]. «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» Ռադիոկայան (in Armenian). Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  21. "Մանվել Գրիգորյանն ազատ է արձակվել կալանքից" [Manvel Grigoryan has been released from imprisonment]. CIVILNET (in Armenian). 15 January 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  22. "Former MP Manvel Grigoryan dies aged 64". armradio.am. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  23. "Ex-MP, General Manvel Grigoryan to be buried at Yerevan military pantheon". news.am. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  24. "Armenia former MP, General Manvel Grigoryan is laid to rest". news.am. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  25. "Former MP, General Manvel Grigoryan to not be buried at Yerevan military pantheon". news.am. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
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