Seyran Ohanyan Սեյրան Օհանյան
July 1, 1962 - Present
File:Seyran.jpg
Place of birth	Shushi, Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	USSR  Nagorno-Karabakh Republic  Armenia
Service/branch	Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army, Armenian Army
Years of service	1983 - Present
Rank	Colonel General
Commands held	Soviet 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment, Armenian 5th Army Corps
Battles/wars	Nagorno-Karabakh War

Seyran Ohanyan (Armenian: Սեյրան Օհանյան, born July 1, 1962) has been the Defence Minister of Armenia since April 14, 2008.

Ohanyan was born in the town of Shushi, then a part of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union. In 1979, he completed high school in the village of Mrgashen, in the region of Nairi in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Ohanyan attended the Baku Higher Joint Command College and completed his studies there in 1983.

He used to be the commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense army. Ohanyan is a career officer who was serving in the Soviet military's 23rd Motor Rifle Division as a major before joining Nagorno-Karabakh's newly formed army in 1991 and playing a major role in the Nagorno-Karabakh war against Azerbaijan. He was seriously wounded in action in 1992 and had one of his legs amputated as a result of the injury.

In the government of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ohanyan served as Minister of Defense. Subsequently, he was appointed as chief of the general staff of the Armenian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defense of Armenia in 2007. After Serzh Sargsyan took office as President of Armenia, he appointed Ohanyan as Minister of Defense on April 14, 2008.^[1][2]

Contents 1 Alleged War crimes 2 Family 3 Awards and decorations 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Alleged War crimes

As one of the commanding officers of the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment stationed in Stepanakert, he was directly involved in the occupation of Azerbaijani town of Khojali on 25-26 February 1992, in the course of which Azerbaijan alleged that hundreds of Azerbaijani civilians were killed by Armenian forces^[3]. Parliamentary Investigation Commission of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Azerbaijan incriminated then major Seyran Ohanyan, commander of the second battalion of the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment, for atrocities against the civilian population of Khojali^[4]. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt as the allegations are only coming from the Azeri side and not an impartial third party such as the International Criminal Court.

[edit] Family

He is married and has three sons.

[edit] Awards and decorations

He has been awarded with the medals and decorations of the USSR, Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh Republic: ^[5]

USSR:

• 70th Anniversary of USSR Armed Forces
• For Perfect Service
• For Excellency

Republic of Nagorno Karabakh:

• Hero of Artsakh
• Golden Eagle
• Combat Cross 1st degree,
• For the liberation of Shushi

Republic of Armenia:

• Combat Cross 1st degree
• Tigranes the Great
• For the Service to the Motherland

Ministry of Defence of Armenia:

• For Perfect Service 1st and 2nd Degrees
• Drastamat Kanayan
• Marshal Baghramyan
• For the strengthening of cooperation
• Maternal Gratitude
• Soviet Union Marshal Zhukov
• Coat of Arms

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[edit] See also

• Seyran Shahsuvaryan
• Mikael Harutyunyan

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Ohanyan's Official Biography

Political offices
Preceded by Mikael Harutyunyan	Minister of Defence of Armenia 2008 – present	Incumbent

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