Arayik Harutyunyan

Arayik Harutyunyan is an Armenian economist, political figure and former President of the Republic of Artsakh. Born in Stepanakert, he began his university studies in economics before joining Artsakh’s self-defense forces during the first Artsakh war. His older brother was killed during the war. Harutyunyan later completed his economics education and worked in the banking sector before moving into government and political life.

He became one of Artsakh’s most prominent political figures over the following two decades. Harutyunyan headed Artsakh’s government for years, first as prime minister and later as State Minister after the government structure was changed. He also led the Free Motherland party, which became one of the dominant political forces in Artsakh.

Harutyunyan was elected President of Artsakh in 2020 and led the republic during the 2020 Artsakh War, the difficult postwar period and the Azerbaijani blockade. His presidency coincided with the loss of much of Artsakh’s territory, the deployment of Russian peacekeepers, repeated Azerbaijani military pressure and, beginning in late 2022, the blockade that isolated Artsakh from Armenia. He resigned in September 2023, shortly before Azerbaijan’s final attack and the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s Armenian population.

After the forced displacement began, Harutyunyan remained in Artsakh. Azerbaijani forces took him hostage in Stepanakert and transferred him to Baku. He was placed in the same mass sham trial as other former Artsakh officials and servicemen, where Azerbaijani prosecutors sought to criminalize the political and military institutions of Artsakh through sweeping charges of terrorism, war crimes and other offenses. Harutyunyan rejected the proceedings. In 2026, the Baku Military Court illegally sentenced him to life imprisonment, and the Baku Court of Appeals later upheld the sentence. He remains an illegally held Armenian hostage in Azerbaijan.