23 Facts About Seyran Ohanyan

Seyran Musheghi Ohanyan is an Armenian military officer and politician currently serving as a deputy in the National Assembly of Armenia.

Seyran Ohanyan served as Defence Minister of Armenia from 14 April 2008 until 3 October 2016.

Seyran Ohanyan attended the Baku Higher Joint Command College and completed his studies there in 1983.

Seyran Ohanyan subsequently served with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, first as a platoon commander and from March 1987 as a company commander.

In May 1992, Seyran Ohanyan participated in the capture of his hometown of Shushi, one of the most significant victories achieved by the Armenian side.

Seyran Ohanyan led a force of 400 men against the fortified town from the southwestern direction.

Seyran Ohanyan was seriously wounded in action near Chldran, Martakert district in September 1992, with his leg amputated as a result.

Seyran Ohanyan was promoted to major general in 1995, lieutenant general in 2000 and colonel general in 2007.

In May 2007, Seyran Ohanyan was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defence of Armenia.

Seyran Ohanyan was dismissed from his post in October 2016.

In February 2017, Seyran Ohanyan formed a political coalition with opposition politicians Vartan Oskanian and Raffi Hovannisian and their respective political parties to participate in the 2017 Armenian parliamentary election.

In 2019 and 2020, Seyran Ohanyan was called several times to answer the questions of the Armenian parliament's investigative committee on the Four-Day War.

Seyran Ohanyan went to Nagorno-Karabakh to command Armenian forces after the start of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War in September 2020.

On 5 February 2021, Seyran Ohanyan announced his intention to participate in potential snap elections.

Seyran Ohanyan participated in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary election as a member of the Armenia Alliance, an electoral coalition led by ex-president Robert Kocharyan.

Seyran Ohanyan currently leads the Armenia Alliance's parliamentary bloc in the National Assembly of Armenia.

In January 2019, Seyran Ohanyan was charged with "overthrowing the constitutional order" in relation to the 2008 Armenian presidential election protests, when army and police forces suppressed mass protests against the election results, resulting in the deaths of 10 people.

Seyran Ohanyan was serving as Chief of the General Staff at the time.

In May 2021, Seyran Ohanyan was charged with embezzlement of property from the Dzoraget Hydroelectric Power Station.

Seyran Ohanyan is married to Ruzanna Khachatryan, an Armenian doctor, and has three sons and one daughter.

Seyran Ohanyan's oldest son David is an officer in the Armenian Army.

Seyran Ohanyan's other son Arthur is an officer in the Artsakh Defence Army and was wounded during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Seyran Ohanyan has been awarded with the medals and decorations of the USSR, Armenia and Republic of Artsakh:.