Manvel Grigoryan

Lieutenant General Manvel Sektori Grigoryan (Armenian: Մանվել Սեկտորի Գրիգորյան) is a former Armenian military leader and former member of the National Assembly of Armenia. At one point he was one of the highest-ranking officials in the Armenian Army, becoming Deputy Defense Minister in 2000.

Early Life and Career
He was born on July 14, 1956 in the village of in the Armavir province. He served in the Soviet Army from 1975 to 1977. He graduated from Stepanakert State University in 1993 and Yerevan State University in 1998. In 1993 he was appointed the Commander of the 83rd brigade of the armed forces. Between 1996 and 2000 he was promoted the Commander of the first corps of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia and gained the title of Major General. In 2000, Grigoryan became the Deputy Defense Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

On May 6, 2012, he was elected a deputy to the parliament from the Republican Party of Armenia.

On June 18, 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan accused Manvel of participating in Khojaly Massacre and committing other war crimes.

Arrest
Grigoryan was arrested in Armenia on June 16, 2018 by the National Security Service at his home in Vagharshapat. He was charged with the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also claimed that he stole aid intended for frontline soldiers sent by schoolchildren during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes. In his house, the National Security Service also found many weapons and ammunition including, RPG-7 s, a car collection which included vehicles and ambulance cars designated for the army. Additionally, a private zoo was discovered, on which premises investigators found used cans of meat products intended for military consumption. Grigoryan is standing a trial at the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction on the charges of illegal possession and storage of weapons and ammunition, embezzlement of 101,232,917 AMD, evasion of 1,228,176,342 AMD taxes, misuse of 1.225.003.300 AMD state funds and the organization of misappropriation of 37,101,100 AMD worth property accompanied with extortion.

Personal life
He is currently married to Nazik Amiryan, with 8 children, including Karen Grigoryan, who is the former mayor of Echmiadzin. Over the years of his service, Grigoryan has gained the following national awards:


 * Medal of “Military Cross” (1994)
 * Medal of the “Golden Eagle” (2000)
 * Hero of Artsakh (2000)
 * Medal of "Vazgen Sargsyan” (2002)