Arsen Avakov

An ethnic Armenian,^[8][9] Arsen Avakov was born on 2 January 1964 in the town of Kirovsky (since 1992 Rəsulzadə), located within the Binəqədi raion of Baku, in what was then the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union. "Avakov" is the Russified version of the Armenian surname Avagyan (also transliterated as "Avakyan" or "Avakian").^[10] In 1966 the Avakovs moved to the Ukrainian SSR.

From 1981 to 1982, Avakov worked as a laboratory assistant for the Chair for Automated Control Systems at the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. In 1988, he graduated from the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute^[11] as a systems engineer with a major in automated control systems. From 1987 to 1990 he worked in Kharkiv. He joined a commercial bank in 1992, becoming a member of its supervisory board.

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Armenians

Armenians

Armenians are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the de facto independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora of around five million people of full or partial Armenian ancestry living outside modern Armenia. The largest Armenian populations today exist in Russia, the United States, France, Georgia, Iran, Germany, Ukraine, Lebanon, Brazil, and Syria. With the exceptions of Iran and the former Soviet states, the present-day Armenian diaspora was formed mainly as a result of the Armenian genocide.

Rəsulzadə

Rəsulzadə

Rəsulzadə is a settlement and municipality in Baku, Azerbaijan. It has a population of 47,921. It is named after Mahammad Amin Rasulzade. Since the early 1990s, it is composed of two settlements, known originally as Poselok imeni Vorovskogo and Poselok imeni Kirova.

Binəqədi raion

Binəqədi raion

Binəqədi raion is a raion in Baku, Azerbaijan. The rayon has a population of 240,800, of which 112,000 is in the municipality. Binagadi district is located in Baku administrative area and is located 10.5 km from the city center, in the North-West of the Absheron Peninsula. Territory is 147,06 sq. M, administrative center is M. Rasulzadeh settlement.

Baku

Baku

Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is 28 metres (92 ft) below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world and also the largest city in the world below sea level. Baku lies on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, on the Bay of Baku. Baku's urban population was estimated at two million people as of 2009. Baku is the primate city of Azerbaijan—it is the sole metropolis in the country, and about 25% of all inhabitants of the country live in Baku's metropolitan area.

Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country spanning most of northern Eurasia that existed from 30 December 1922 to 26 December 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national republics; in practice, both its government and its economy were highly centralized until its final years. It was a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, with the city of Moscow serving as its capital as well as that of its largest and most populous republic: the Russian SFSR. Other major cities included Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Tashkent, Alma-Ata, and Novosibirsk. It was the largest country in the world, covering over 22,402,200 square kilometres (8,649,500 sq mi) and spanning eleven time zones.

Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute

Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute

The National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute", in the city of Kharkiv, is the largest and oldest technical university in eastern Ukraine. Founded in 1885, it is the second-oldest technical university in the former Russian Empire and in the territory of modern Ukraine.

Kharkiv

Kharkiv

Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine. Located in the northeast of the country, it is the largest city of the historic Slobozhanshchyna region. Kharkiv is the administrative centre of Kharkiv Oblast and of the surrounding Kharkiv Raion. It has a population of 1,421,125.

In 2002, Avakov was elected a member of the Executive Committee of Kharkiv City Council. During the presidential electoral campaign in 2004, he was the deputy head of Kharkiv Regional Headquarters of Viktor Yushchenko, a presidential candidate, and the First Deputy Head of “The National Salvation Committee” in Kharkiv region.

On 4 February 2005, by the decree of the President of Ukraine, Avakov was appointed the head of the Regional State Administration in Kharkiv.^[12] He resigned from his positions at Investor JSC and Basis Commercial Bank. In March 2005, he was elected into the council of the political party "Our Ukraine," a member of the Party Presidium. On 26 March 2006, he was elected a deputy of the Kharkiv Regional Council, 5th convocation, and became a member of the Standing Committee on Budgetary Issues.

Avakov was on the organizing committee for Euro 2012 in Ukraine from 24 April to 8 May 2007. From 5 May 2007 through 21 January 2008, he was a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. He was also a member of the National Council on Interaction between Government Authorities and Local Self-Government Bodies and was named an Honored Economist of Ukraine. On 31 October 2010, he was elected deputy of the Kharkiv Regional Council, 6th convocation, and became a member of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Historical Heritage, Intellectual Wealth and National Minorities. He resigned on 9 February 2010, pursuant to Part 3 of Article 31 of The Law of Ukraine “On Civil Service”: "Principled disagreement with decisions made by the public body or an official thereof, and ethical reasons preventing continuation of civil service."

On 1 February 2010, Avakov withdrew from Our Ukraine. He issued a detailed Summary Report at the close of his term of office in Kharkiv Regional State Administration. On 21 April 2010, he joined the Batkivshchyna political party and accepted the offer of Yulia Tymoshenko to lead its regional organization (Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc). Avakov ran for mayor of Kharkiv in the 2010 Ukraine local elections on 31 October 2010.^[13] He finished second, losing to Hennadiy Kernes by a margin of 0.63%.^[13]

Charged on 31 January 2012 with illegally transferring land, Avakov was placed on the international wanted list of Interpol on 21 March 2012.^[13] He was detained in Frosinone, in Italy, in late March 2012.^[13] An Italian court placed him under house arrest as a preventive measure on 12 April 2012.^[14] In October 2012, Avakov was elected to the Verkhovna Rada on the party list of "Fatherland" (number 24 on this list).^[13][15][16] This led to a court ruling on 10 December 2012 that cancelled the restriction measures against him (detention and a warrant for his arrest).^[12] He returned to Ukraine the next day, on 11 December 2012.^[13][12]

Minister of Internal Affairs

On 22 February 2014, following the February 2014 revolution, Avakov was appointed Acting Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. His appointed supported 275 out of 324 members of the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) and he was the only candidate to be voted.^[17] He had agreed to the post on the condition it would be a temporarily assignment.^[18] The Euromaidan activists at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti voted against the appointment of Avakov and former parliamentarian Stepan Khmara announced Vitaliy Yarema as the alternative to the appointment and which was supported by the crowd.^[19] Avakov described pro-Russian separatists as "terrorists".^[20] On 26 February 2014 Avakov announced that the MVS suspended its search for Viktor Yanukovych in Crimea to avoid "provoking clashes".^[21] As the newly appointed minister, Avakov also signed the MVS order #144 "About dissolution of special detachment of the Militsiya of Public Safety "Berkut"",^[22] after internal investigation into allegations of abuse of power.^[23]

On 14 March 2014, Avakov gave an interview to the chief editor of LB.ua, Sonya Koshkina. where he stated that he was initially given five main tasks: stabilization of situation, ensuring an investigation of resonant crimes (which is so urgently society requires), structural transformation of the MVS, creation of the National Guard of Ukraine, and opposition to destabilization of Ukraine from the outside.^[24]

Russia requested that Avakov be placed on Interpol's wanted list for "the use of prohibited means and methods of warfare, aggravated murder, the obstruction of professional activities of journalists, and abduction."^[25] On 9 July 2014, a Moscow district court arrested him in absentia.^[26]

On 3 April 2014, Avakov stated that the investigation has identified all the shooters from the Berkut special detachment (company, also known as the "Black Special Detachment") who were sniping protesters from the roof of the former October Palace and were commanded by the MVS Major Dmitri (Dmytro) Sadovnik.^[27] At the same time the acting minister announced that "the former leadership of MVS and Berkut has made everything that any investigation on the subject were impossible".^[27] Avakov also added that gangs that were killing and abducting activists of Euromaidan were coordinated by a head of media holding "Kontakt" Viktor Zubritskiy.^[27]

In September 2014, Avakov became a founding member of his new party People's Front.^[28]

Avakov has published twelve scientific papers, one monograph, and a number of essays on political and social issues.

In 2016, Avakov posted his support of the controversial doxing site, Myrotvorets that was giving away personal information of journalists who had obtained accreditation from Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.^[29][30]

In March 2019, there was information about Arsen Avakov's purchase of the news website "BYKVU.com".^[31][32][33]

Avakov was reappointed as Interior Minister in December 2014 in the second Yatsenyuk government, in the Groysman government and again in August 2019 in the Honcharuk government.^[34] He was reappointed in August 2019 despite the plea of 24 NGO's (including AutoMaidan, StateWatch and Transparency International Ukraine) not to re-appoint Avakov.^[34] In a joint statement they claimed “Avakov is responsible for failing to reform the police, sabotaging the vetting of police officers, keeping tainted police officials and suspects in EuroMaidan cases in key jobs, failing to investigate attacks on civic activists and numerous corruption scandals linked to him and his inner circle.”^[34] The day after Avakov's reappointment Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk stated Avakov kept his post because his experience was needed and it was better not to appoint a new Interior Minister during the ongoing War in Donbass.^[35]

In December 2019, Arsen Avakov was included in the list of the 100 most influential Ukrainians by Focus magazine, taking the 8th place.^[36]

In the March 2020 formed Shmyhal Government Avakov retained his position of Interior Minister.^[37]

On 12 July 2021 Avakov announced that he had submitted his resignation (letter) as Interior Minister.^[37][38] Parliament accepted his resignation two days later.^[39] (In Ukraine a resignation of a Minister needs to be accepted by parliament.^[38]) 291 deputies approved his resignation.^[39] He was replaced by Denys Monastyrsky.^[40]

Criticism

A number of experts point out that during Avakov's time as Minister of Internal Affairs, the reform of main Ukrainian law enforcement agency fell through.^[41] Started out on 7 November 2015 with entering into force of a new law "On the National Police", the former Ukrainian militsiya has simply changed its name and most of its staff remained unchanged.^[41]

In November 2014, Ukraine's chief rabbi Yaakov Bleich condemned Avakov's appointment of Azov Battalion deputy commander Vadym Troyan as Kyiv Oblast police chief, and demanded that "if the interior minister continues to appoint people of questionable repute and ideologies tainted with fascism and right-wing extremism, the interior minister should be replaced."^[42]

Discover more about Political career related topics

2004 Ukrainian presidential election

2004 Ukrainian presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Ukraine on 31 October, 21 November and 26 December 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union. The last stages of the election were contested between the opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko and incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych from the Party of Regions. It was later determined by the Ukrainian Supreme Court that the election was plagued by widespread falsification of the results in favour of Yanukovych.

Governor of Kharkiv Oblast

Governor of Kharkiv Oblast

The Governor of Kharkiv Oblast is the head of executive branch for the Kharkiv Oblast.

2006 Ukrainian local elections

2006 Ukrainian local elections

The 2006 Ukrainian local elections took place on March 26, 2006. The elections saw the southern and eastern regions of the country vote for the Party of Regions, while the west and central regions were won by the Our Ukraine Bloc and Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, respectively. They were followed by the 2010 local elections.

Kharkiv Oblast Council

Kharkiv Oblast Council

The Kharkiv Oblast Council is the regional oblast council (parliament) of the Kharkiv Oblast (province) located in eastern Ukraine. The council is composed of 120 members and is situated in the oblast's administrative center Kharkiv. Council members are elected for five year terms. In order to gain representation on the council, a party must gain more than 5 percent of the total vote.

National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine is the coordinating state body of the executive power under the President of Ukraine on issues of national security and defense.

Honorary titles of Ukraine

Honorary titles of Ukraine

Honorary titles of Ukraine are meritorious awards of Ukraine. Most of them are state awards and practically all were transformed from the same titles of the Ukrainian SSR.

Batkivshchyna

Batkivshchyna

The All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" referred to as Batkivshchyna, is a political party in Ukraine led by People's Deputy of Ukraine, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. As the core party of the former Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, Batkivshchyna has been represented in the Verkhovna Rada since Yulia Tymoshenko set up the parliamentary faction of the same name in March 1999. After the November 2011 banning of the participation of blocs of political parties in parliamentary elections, Batkivshchyna became a major force in Ukrainian politics independently.

2010 Ukrainian local elections

2010 Ukrainian local elections

The 2010 Ukrainian local elections took place on 31 October 2010, two years before the 2012 general election. The voter turnout across Ukraine was about 50%, which is considered low in comparison to previous elections.

Hennadiy Kernes

Hennadiy Kernes

Hennadiy Adolfovych Kernes was a Ukrainian politician who was the Mayor of Kharkiv from 2010 until his death in 2020.

Interpol

Interpol

The International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol, is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control. Headquartered in Lyon, France, it is the world's largest international police organization, with seven regional bureaus worldwide and a National Central Bureau in all 195 member states.

Frosinone

Frosinone

Frosinone is a town and comune in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about 75 kilometres (47 mi) south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of the Valle Latina, an Italian geographical and historical region that extends from south of Rome to Cassino.

2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election

2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Ukraine on 28 October 2012. Because of various reasons, including the "impossibility of announcing election results" various by-elections have taken place since. Hence, several constituencies have been left unrepresented at various times.

Avakov is married and has a son, named Oleksandr.^[43] At the age of 25, his son volunteered for the special police detachments Kyiv-1 Battalion in August 2014 and fought in the Siege of Sloviansk.^[44][45]

In August 2017 Avakov's wife Inna acquired 40% of Goldberry LLC, the owner of Espreso TV.^[46]

Arsen Avakov is author of 12 scientific papers and one monograph including:

• Circulation of Bills: Theory and Practice / А.B. Аvakov, G.I. Gaievoy, V.A. Beshanov etc.. — Kh.: Folio, 2000. — 382 p.;
• “Glavnoe” (The Main): Collection of Articles (April 2005 — October 2006) / Arsen Avakov. — Kharkov, 2006. — 48 p.: il.;
• “Aktsenty” (Emphases): Speeches, Articles, Statements, Interviews, Publications (November 2004 — December 2006): collection of articles / Arsen Avakov. — Kharkov: Golden Pages, 2007. — 464 p.: il.;
• Lenin with Us: Article + Internet Epistolary Documents / Arsen Avakov. — Kharkiv: Golden Pages, 2008. — 100 p.: il.;
• Yesterday and Tomorrow / Arsen Avakov. — Kharkiv: Golden Pages, 2008. — 48 p.;
• Strategy of Social and Economic Development of Kharkiv Region For the Period till 2015: Monograph.- Kh.:«INZHEK» Publishing House, 2008.- 352 p.