Hamlet Harutyunyan was born on October 5, 1947 in the village of Tchartar in the Martouni region.

Mr. Harutyunyan graduated with a degree in history from Yerevan State University in 1970. He is a docent and Historical Sciences PhD.

From 1970-1976 he worked as a laboratory assistant, later probationer and then professor first in the USSR History and later the Russian History Department of the Khatchadur Abovyan Yerevan State Pedagogical Institute. From 1990-1998 he was a member of the Artsakh Patriotic Association and later became its vice president. From 1997-1999 he was an advisor to the RA Minister of Education and Science. In 2000 he became president of the Artsakh Patriotic Association.

1999-2003 was his first term as a deputy of the NA (from the proportional list of the Law and UnityAlliance) and he sat on the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Affairs. He was a member of the Law and Unity Faction.

On May 25, 2003 he was reelected to the NA from the proportional list of the Republican Party of Armenia. He currently sits on the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. He is also a member of both the Republican Party of Armenia Faction and party.

Mr. Harutyunyan is married and has two children.