18 Facts About Vitaly Balasanyan

Vitaly Mikhaili Balasanyan is an Artsakhi politician and retired general.

Vitaly Balasanyan served as the head of the National Security Council of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh from November 2016 to November 2019 and again from December 2020 to January 2023.

Vitaly Balasanyan previously served as a member of Artsakh's National Assembly.

Vitaly Balasanyan twice ran, unsuccessfully, for the office of President of Artsakh.

In February 1988, Balasanyan participated in the first violent incident of the Karabakh conflict known as the Askeran clash, when a large group of Azerbaijanis attempted to march from Aghdam to Stepanakert, but was stopped at Askeran with fights breaking out.

In 1990 Vitaly Balasanyan was elected commander of Askeran region's self-defense and in December 1991 member of the Supreme Council of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh.

Vitaly Balasanyan led the defense of Askeran between 1992 and 1993.

In 1997, Vitaly Balasanyan became the first commander of the newly established Martakert mountain-rifle division and in 1999 promoted to deputy minister of defense of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh in charge of veterans' affairs.

Vitaly Balasanyan earned the rank of major general in 2000 and in 2002 became the 8th person to be awarded the title of Hero of Artsakh.

Vitaly Balasanyan retired from the military in 2005 and was elected to the National Assembly of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh as a candidate for the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun.

In 2012, Vitaly Balasanyan was the main challenger to Bako Sahakyan in the 2012 NKR Presidential Elections.

Vitaly Balasanyan was re-elected to parliament for the fourth time in 2015.

Vitaly Balasanyan was a presidential candidate in the 2020 Artsakhian general election.

In November 2016, Vitaly Balasanyan was appointed secretary of the National Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh.

Vitaly Balasanyan stated that the Republic of Artsakh would recover by diplomatic means the parts of the Askeran and Hadrut regions lost in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Vitaly Balasanyan was dismissed from the office on 7 January 2023 and replaced by Ararat Melkumyan.

On 14 July 2023, Vitaly Balasanyan was arrested from his home in Askeran on charges of committing violence against a representative of the government.

Vitaly Balasanyan has been criticized for his alleged Russian patronage, as well as his harsh treatment of journalists.