Pashinyan and Spouse Announce Split
YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his wife, Anna Hakobyan, announced the breakup of their longtime de facto marriage on Friday in a surprise move dismissed by their detractors as a pre-election ploy.
Hakobyan made the announcement in a video message recorded on Wednesday. She gave no clear reason for the divorce confirmed by Pashinyan in a separate Facebook post.
“In all my difficult days for the past 30 years, she has stood by my side and been my refuge and support,” wrote Pashinyan. “I am not sure that I have been like that for her. Perhaps I have caused her more bitterness, for which I apologize.”
Hakobyan already stated on February 17 that her 30-year marriage with Pashinyan has come to an end. Many suggested then that the couple has finally formalized it. Pashinyan previously revealed that their marriage was not registered with the Armenian Apostolic Church or a relevant state body. On February 14, Hakobyan and Pashinyan attended a public discussion of a book written by him nearly two decades ago.
Their split was officially announced just days after the head of Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee said that the law-enforcement agency is looking into opposition claims that a charity run by Hakobyan is breaching a law that bans politicians and individuals linked to them from engaging in benevolent activities in the run-up to elections.
Hakobyan claimed that she may be prosecuted as a result. The ACC told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service later in the day that no criminal proceedings have been launched against her.
The announcement of the divorce was met with suspicion and even ridicule from critics of the Armenian government, who questioned its authenticity. Some of them claimed that Pashinyan is trying to score points with voters ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections by distancing himself from Hakobyan’s controversial activities and statements.
Hakobyan, 48, is believed to have exerted a strong influence on Pashinyan during his almost eight-year rule. Some observers have even regarded her as the premier’s closest political confidante.
In a barrage of social media posts, Hakobyan resorted last May to personal insults to attack opposition activists, public figures and other citizens critical of her. She said she is finally responding to slanderous claims about herself and her family. She also made clear that her use of words like “donkey,” “idiot” and “louse” is part of her ongoing government-funded campaign purportedly aimed at helping Armenians become more educated.
Hakobyan toured towns and villages across Armenia last year as part of the “Getting Educated Is Fashionable” campaign launched in late 2024. Pashinyan spoke during some of those meetings attended by many local government officials and other public sector employees.
