Samvel Shahramanyan

Samvel Sergeyi Shahramanyan (Armenian: Սամվել Սերգեյի Շահրամանյան; born 1 December 1978) is an Artsakhi politician and outgoing president of the de facto-independent Republic of Artsakh since 10 September 2023. He was also State Minister from August to September 2023. He also served as Minister of Military Patriotic Upbringing, Youth, Sports and Tourism, Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh and a Major General in the Artsakh Defence Army.

Samvel Shahramanyan
Սամվել Շահրամանյան
5th President of Artsakh
In office
10 September 2023 – 1 January 2024
Preceded byArayik Harutyunyan
Davit Ishkhanyan (acting)
Succeeded byOffice abolished
State Minister of Artsakh
In office
31 August 2023 – 10 September 2023
PresidentDavit Ishkhanyan (acting)
Preceded byGurgen Nersisyan
Succeeded byArtur Harutyunyan
Personal details
Born (1978-12-01) 1 December 1978
Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Soviet Union
Political partyIndependent
Alma materArtsakh University
Military service
Branch/service Artsakh Defence Army
Years of service1996–1999
RankMajor general

Early life and career

Shahramanyan was born in Stepanakert on 1 December 1978, in what was then the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. He graduated in 1999 from the economics department of the Artsakh University. From 1996 and 1999, he served in the Artsakh Defense Army and then moved to the Artsakh National Security Service, of which he was director between 2018 and 2020 upon appointment by President Bako Sahakyan.[1]

Political career

Ministerial positions in Artsakh

In May 2020, Shahramanyan was appointed by President Arayik Harutyunyan as Minister of Military Patriotic Upbringing, Youth, Sports and Tourism as part of the latter's government.[2]

On 29 August 2023, Harutyunyan stated that he was considering resigning and going to serve in Artsakh's militia.[3] On 31 August, Harutyunyan announced his resignation as president of the Republic of Artsakh along with State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan.[4] Before his resignation, in his final decree, Harutyunyan appointed Shahramanyan as the new State Minister, giving him broad powers.[5]

2023 election
Main article: 2023 Artsakhian presidential election

On 6 September 2023, it became known that three opposition parliamentary factions (Justice, Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Democratic Party of Artsakh) nominated Shahramanyan as their presidential candidate.[6] Later Shahramanyan's candidacy was supported by the largest faction of the Parliament, Free Motherland-UCA.[1] In the presidential election held on 9 September, Shahramanyan, who was the sole candidate, was elected in a 22–1 vote out of 23 deputies present.[7][8]

Azerbaijani offensive, exodus and dissolution of Artsakh
Main articles: 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh and Exodus of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh

Nine days after Shahramanyan was sworn in, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Artsakh.[9][10] The following day, the Artsakhi government reached a ceasefire agreement and agreed to disarm.[11] On 24 September, a mass evacuation of ethnic-Armenian civilians began, citing fears of persecution and ethnic cleansing if they remain.[12][13] On 28 September, Shahramanyan signed a decree stating that all state institutions would be dissolved by 1 January 2024, bringing the existence of the republic of Artsakh to an end.[14][15]

On 4 October, it was reported that Shahramanyan had left Artsakh for Armenia.[16][17] He was spotted in Yerevan on 16 October.[18]

Personal life

Shahramanyan is married and has three children.[19]

See also

References
  1. "Minister of State Samvel Shahramanyan is presidential candidate of 4 of 5 forces in Karabakh legislature". news.am. 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  2. Harutyunyan, Aneta (29 May 2020). "Artsakh President appoints new Minister of Military Patriotic Upbringing, Youth, Sports and Tourism". Armenpress. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020.
  3. "BREAKING: Nagorno-Karabakh President mulls resigning and joining militia". Armenpress. 2023-08-29. Archived from the original on 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  4. Avetisyan, Ani (2023-08-31). "Arayik Harutyunyan resigns as president of Nagorno-Karabakh". OC Media. Archived from the original on 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  5. "Four factions of Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament nominated Samvel Shahramanian as presidential candidate". www.1lurer.am. 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  6. Anna (2023-09-06). "Three opposition factions of Artsakh nominate Samvel Shahramanyan as a presidential candidate". Alphanews. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  7. "Artsakh parliament elects Samvel Shahramanyan as president". Arka. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  8. "Սամվել Շահրամանյանն ընտրվել է ԱՀ նախագահ". Arka (in Armenian). 9 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  9. "Armenia, Azerbaijan: Baku Launches Military Operation In Nagorno-Karabakh". Stratfor. 2023-09-19. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-22. ...the Russian peacekeeping contingent is incapable of preventing Azerbaijan's seizure of the region, despite this being a clear violation of the November 2020 ceasefire brokered by Russia that ended the last war.
  10. "Joint statement on Azerbaijan's attack on Nagorno-Karabakh | Communiqués | Documents | DSCA | Delegations | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-21. We condemn in the strongest terms today's pre-planned and unjustified attack of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh...We recall that the attack takes place in the context of a major humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, following Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor for the past nine months, in violation of Baku's commitments under the ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020 and of the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice. Humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh needs to be fully and permanently restored.
  11. "Russian-mediated ceasefire announced in Nagorno-Karabakh". Armenpress.
  12. Light, Felix (23 September 2023). "Karabakh Armenians say ceasefire being implemented, aid is arriving". Reuters. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  13. Roth, Andrew (24 September 2023). "First evacuees from Nagorno-Karabakh cross into Armenia". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  14. "La république séparatiste du Haut-Karabakh cessera d'exister le 1er janvier 2024". Le Progrès (in French). 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  15. "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will cease to exist from Jan 1 2024 - Nagorno-Karabakh authorities". Reuters. 2023-09-28. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  16. "Karabakh President Samvel Shahramanyan is already in Armenia, Artsakh MP Davit Galstyan says". News.am. 4 October 2023. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023.
  17. "Le président du Haut-Karabakh, Samvel Shahramanyan, est en Arménie" (in French). Nouvelles d'Arménie en Ligne. 4 October 2023. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023.
  18. https://twitter.com/301arm/status/1713886795291578602
  19. "Artsakh parliament elects Samvel Shahramanyan as president". ARKA News Agency. 9 September 2023. Archived from the original on 9 September 2023.
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