Jalal Anatolii Harutyunyan (Armenian: Ջալալ Անատոլիի Հարությունյան; born 11 November 1974) is an Armenian general from the Republic of Artsakh who formerly served as Commander of the Artsakh Defense Army and Minister of Defense of Artsakh.[1] He commanded the Artsakh Defense Army during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War until his dismissal on 27 October 2020 after being wounded in action. He was appointed Head of the Military Control Service of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia in February 2021.[2] Harutyunyan was suspended from this role in connection with a criminal case opened against him in September 2022.[3]
Jalal Harutyunyan | |
|---|---|
| Ջալալ Հարությունյան | |
| Defense Minister of Artsakh | |
| In office 24 February 2020 – 27 October 2020 | |
| President | Bako Sahakyan Arayik Harutyunyan |
| Preceded by | Karen Abrahamyan |
| Succeeded by | Mikael Arzumanyan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 November 1974 Badara, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, USSR |
| Children | 3[1] |
| Awards | Hero of Artsakh |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Republic of Artsakh Armenia |
| Branch/service | Artsakh Defense Army Ministry of Defense (Armenia) |
| Years of service | 1992- |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars | First Nagorno-Karabakh War Second Nagorno-Karabakh War |
Early life and education
editHarutyunyan was born on 11 November 1974, in Badara, then a part of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in the Azerbaijan SSR. His father, Anatoli Harutyunyan, was vice-principal and mathematics teacher at a local school, while his mother, Svetlana Arushanyan, worked as a nurse.[4] From 1991 to 1995, he studied biology at Artsakh State University. In 1999, he entered the Mikhailovskaya Artillery Military Academy in Saint Petersburg under the Ministry of Defense of the Russia Federation, from which he graduated with honors.[1][5]
Career
editHarutyunyan has served in the Artsakh Defense Army since 5 November 1992, when he volunteered for service at the age of 17. He fought in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War from 1992 to 1994. He served in various positions in the Defense Army, primarily in artillery units such as the Assistant to the Head of Artillery Intelligence. He also served as artillery chief of one of Artsakh's military districts. From 2018 to 2020, he served as First Deputy Commander of the Artsakh Defense Army. On 24 February 2020, he was appointed Minister of Defense by President Bako Sahakyan and was reappointed by President Arayik Harutyunyan on 8 June.[1][6][7]
Harutyunyan made a call for battle during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war against Azerbaijan.[8] On 27 October 2020, the president of Artsakh announced that Harutyunyan was relieved of his position after being wounded in fighting, replacing him with Mikael Arzumanyan.[9][10] A video showing a UAV strike on a car that allegedly belonged to Harutyunyan began circulating online.[11] However, the spokesperson of the president of Artsakh denied the footage had anything to do with Harutyunyan's injuries.[12] On October 28, 2020, the president of Artsakh announced his decision to grant Jalal Harutyunyan the title Hero of Artsakh.[13] He was discharged from hospital in early December 2020.[14]
In January 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia announced that a criminal case had been opened already in October 2020 on the attempt on Harutyunyan's life made during the war, and stated that no one had been charged in connection with the case yet.[15] In February 2021, by the order of Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Defense Minister of Armenia, Harutyunyan was appointed to the post of the Head of the Military Control Service of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.[2]
On 2 September 2022, the Investigative Committee of Armenia announced that a criminal case had been opened against Jalal Harutyunyan on two counts of “careless attitude towards military service” during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. If convicted, Harutyunyan could be sentenced to between four and eight years imprisonment.[16]
Dates of rank
edit| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Major General | 8 July 2019[1] |
|
Lieutenant General | 15 October 2020[17][18] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Jalal Harutyunyan". Republic of Artsakh. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Ջալալ Հարությունյանը նշանակվել է ՊՆ ռազմական վերահսկողական ծառայության պետ". Hetq.am (in Armenian). Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ "Ջալալ Հարությունյանին մեղադրանք է առաջադրվել. նրա պաշտոնավարումը կասեցվել է" [Jalal Harutyunyan has been charged. His tenure has been suspended]. Aravot (in Armenian). September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Նվիրյալներ - Ջալալ Հարությունյան". Public Television of Armenia. March 9, 2015. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020.
- ^ "Ջալալ Հարությունյան". Ministry of Defence of Artsakh. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020.
- ^ "Jalal Harutyunyan appointed Artsakh's Defense Minister". Public Radio of Armenia. February 24, 2020. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ "Major-general Jalal Harutyunyan reappointed Artsakh Republic defense minister". June 8, 2020. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ "Karabakh President spokesperson: Defense Army suspending Azerbaijan's operations with powerful blows". September 27, 2020. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- ^ "Artsakh President: Defense minister Jalal Harutyunyan is relieved of post, he is wounded". October 27, 2020. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020.
- ^ "Jalal Harutyunyan wounded, Mikael Arzumanyan appointed Artsakh Defense Minister". Public Radio of Armenia. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- ^ Admin, I. F. E. (October 27, 2020). "BREAKING: Azerbaijani drone destroyed vehicle Minister of Defence of Artsakh, Jalal Harutyunyan". IFE News Network. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- ^ "Azerbaijani footage has nothing to do with the circumstances of Jalal Harutyunyan's injury". armenpress.am. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- ^ "Որոշում եմ կայացրել գեներալ-լեյտենանտ Ջալալ Հարությունյանին շնորհել "Արցախի հերոս" բարձրագույն կոչում. Արայիկ Հարությունյան". Aravot. 28 October 2020.
- ^ "Artsakh hero Jalal Harutyunyan is discharged from hospital". news.am. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ Bulghadarian, Naira (30 January 2021). "Ջալալ Հարությունյանի դեմ մահափորձի գործով մեղադրյալ չկա" [There is no accused in the case of the attempted murder against Jalal Harutyunyan]. Azatutyun. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ "Another Karabakh General Indicted". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» Ռադիոկայան (in Armenian). September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ "President of Artsakh bestows Defense Minister with Lieutenant-General military rank". armenpress.am. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ "Artsakh DM, Commander of Defense Army awarded military rank of Lieutenant-General". aysor.am. Retrieved October 30, 2020.