Versand Hakobyan
{{Short description|Armenian politician (1950–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Versand Hakobyan
| native_name = {{Nobold|Վերսանդ Հակոբյան}}
| native_name_lang = hy
| image = Versand Hakobyan.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| office = Member of the National Assembly
| termstart = 2007
| termend = 2012
| constituency = District 12 (Yerevan)
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1950|09|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bazarchai, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|07|19|1950|09|15|df=y}}
| party = Prosperous Armenia
| children = 3
| alma_mater = Kyiv Institute of Civil Aviation Engineers
}}
Versand Fransiki Hakobyan ({{Langx|hy|Վերսանդ Ֆրանսիկի Հակոբյան}}; 15 September 1950 – 19 July 2022) was an Armenian aviation executive, oligarch, and politician who served in the National Assembly of Armenia as a member of Prosperous Armenia from 2007 until 2012.
Biography
Hakobyan was born on 15 September 1950 in the village of Bazarchai, Syunik Province in the Armenian SSR. In 1973, Hakobyan graduated from the Kyiv Institute of Civil Aviation Engineers, and he graduated from the same institution again in 1985. From 1973 until 1994, Hakobyan worked as an engineer at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, and from 1994 until 2002, he was the head of the passenger transportation department. From 2002 until 2007, he was the representative for Armenian Airlines in the United Arab Emirates.{{Cite web |last= |date=19 July 2022 |title=Former NA deputy Versand Hakobyan died |url=https://bavnews.am/մահացել-է-աժ-նախկին-պատգամավոր-վերսան/ |access-date=27 July 2022 |website=Bavnews |language=hy-AM}}
Due to the wealth and influence of Hakobyan and his family, they were referred to as oligarchs.{{Cite web |last=Sayadyan |first=Liana |date=29 September 2008 |title=Armenian Oligarches Active in France |url=https://hetq.am/en/article/40411 |access-date=27 July 2022 |website=Hetq |language=en}} During his career, Hakobyan had been the owner of Air Armenia alongside fellow MP Gagik Tsarukyan,{{Cite web |last=Babayan |first=Nelly |date=25 September 2015 |title=Did open sky close the air of Air Armenia? |url=https://www.aravot-en.am/2015/09/25/172160/ |access-date=26 July 2022 |website=Aravot}} and he joined his brother Hrayr Hakobyan as owner-director of Armenian International Airways and owner-director of the Yerevan Champagne Wines Factory.{{Cite web |last=Sarukhanyan |first=Vahe |date=5 December 2015 |title=Armavia: Controlling The Armenian Skies |url=https://hozir.org/armavia-controlling-the-armenian-skies.html |access-date=27 July 2022 |website=Hozir}} Additionally, the Hakobyan family together own a "network of restaurants in Yerevan and Moscow, an insurance company, a taxi service, large tracts of land, a tobacco plant and other businesses".
In the 2003 Armenian parliamentary election, Hakobyan was the Prosperous Armenia nominee in a by-election for the National Assembly of Armenia, contesting District 12, which covered part of Yerevan. Though Hakobyan was regarded as an ally of Robert Kocharyan, the president of Armenia, he was defeated by Republican Party of Armenia nominee Harutyun Gharagyozian.{{Cite news |last=Kalantarian |first=Karine |date=16 June 2003 |title=High Court Orders Repeat Election In Another Constituency |url=https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1571675.html |access-date=27 July 2022 |website=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |language=hy}}{{Cite news |last=Sargsyan |first=Vache |date=28 May 2003 |title=Press review |url=https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1571556.html |access-date=27 July 2022 |website=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |language=hy}} However, in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary election, Hakobyan was elected to the National Assembly for the same district. Prosperous Armenia chose not to renominate Hakobyan for the 2012 Armenian parliamentary election.{{Cite web |date=25 February 2012 |title=Heritage's Anahit Bakhshyan to run in constituency 12 |url=https://panarmenian.net/m/eng/news/95729 |access-date=27 July 2022 |website=PanARMENIAN.Net}}
Hakobyan had three children.{{Cite web |title=Versand HAKOBYAN |url=http://www.parliament.am/deputies.php?sel=details&ID=875&lang=eng |access-date=27 July 2022 |website=Parliament of Armenia}} He died on 19 July 2022 from "health problems".{{Cite web |date=19 July 2022 |title=Former NA deputy Versand Hakobyan died |url=https://galatv.am/hy/3120049/ |access-date=27 July 2022 |website=Galatv |language=hy}}
References
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Category:Place of death missing
Category:People from Syunik Province
Category:Armenian businesspeople
Category:Armenian corporate directors
Category:Members of the National Assembly (Armenia)