Raffi Hovannisian
Encyclopedia
Raffi K. Hovannisian is an American-born Armenian
politician and former Foreign Minister of Armenia
. He is the leader of the Heritage
party.
Raffi Hovannisian is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles
, the Georgetown University Law Center
and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
at Tufts University
. He is the eldest son of Richard Hovannisian, emeritus professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History at the University of California, Los Angeles
, and Vartiter Hovannisian, MD. He is married and has five children.
He is the founding director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies in Yerevan, leads the Heritage political party, and founded the Armenian Bar Association, in addition to having served in many other professional capacities in Armenia and the diaspora.
. On August 28, 2007, he introduced to the parliament a bill on a formal recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
In 2011, Hovannisian encouraged a more assertive Armenian foreign policy, calling for the restitution of territories from both Azerbaijan
and Turkey
, and support for the rights of the Armenian minority in Georgia
,
a position that was called "revanchist
".
spurred Armenian merchants to demonstrate in Yerevan
against a ban on street trading, Heritage and other political parties began to organize more ambitious rallies aimed at forcing broad governmental changes. On 15 March 2011, hoping to draw attention to his party's cause, Hovannisian began a public hunger strike in a small protest camp
in Yerevan's Freedom Square. The unity of the opposition was strained when Levon Ter-Petrossian
, leader of the Armenian National Congress
, led demonstrators into Freedom Square two nights later and allegedly ignored Hovannisian and his supporters. Hovannisian ended his hunger strike on 30 March, but has remained active in protests against President Serzh Sargsyan and his government.
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
politician and former Foreign Minister of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. He is the leader of the Heritage
Heritage (Armenia)
Heritage is a liberal and centrist, opposition political party in Armenia. The party emerged as the fifth largest party in the Armenian National Assembly after its debut in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections. It obtained 7 seats and a popular vote of 5.81%...
party.
Raffi Hovannisian is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, the Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University is the oldest school in the United States dedicated solely to graduate studies in international affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's foremost schools of international affairs. Every Fall, the school enrolls approximately 265...
at Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
. He is the eldest son of Richard Hovannisian, emeritus professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, and Vartiter Hovannisian, MD. He is married and has five children.
He is the founding director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies in Yerevan, leads the Heritage political party, and founded the Armenian Bar Association, in addition to having served in many other professional capacities in Armenia and the diaspora.
Foreign policy stances
Hovannisian has spearheaded the campaign to get Armenia to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh RepublicNagorno-Karabakh Republic
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. On August 28, 2007, he introduced to the parliament a bill on a formal recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
In 2011, Hovannisian encouraged a more assertive Armenian foreign policy, calling for the restitution of territories from both Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and support for the rights of the Armenian minority in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
,
a position that was called "revanchist
Revanchism
Revanchism is a term used since the 1870s to describe a political manifestation of the will to reverse territorial losses incurred by a country, often following a war or social movement. Revanchism draws its strength from patriotic and retributionist thought and is often motivated by economic or...
".
2011 protests
After regional unrest2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
spurred Armenian merchants to demonstrate in Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
against a ban on street trading, Heritage and other political parties began to organize more ambitious rallies aimed at forcing broad governmental changes. On 15 March 2011, hoping to draw attention to his party's cause, Hovannisian began a public hunger strike in a small protest camp
Protest camp
Protest camps are physical camps that are set up by activists, to either provide a base for protest, or to delay, obstruct or prevent the focus of their protest by physically blocking it with the camp...
in Yerevan's Freedom Square. The unity of the opposition was strained when Levon Ter-Petrossian
Levon Ter-Petrossian
Levon Ter-Petrossian , sometimes transliterated Levon Ter-Petrosyan or Ter-Petrosian , was the first President of Armenia from 1991 to 1998...
, leader of the Armenian National Congress
Armenian National Congress
The Armenian National Congress is a coalition of 13 opposition parties in the Republic of Armenia led by former President Levon Ter-Petrossian and formed in 2008. Its direct predecessor was the Armenian Popular Movement...
, led demonstrators into Freedom Square two nights later and allegedly ignored Hovannisian and his supporters. Hovannisian ended his hunger strike on 30 March, but has remained active in protests against President Serzh Sargsyan and his government.