Anna Hakobian supposedly moved out of the residence on February 27 right after unexpectedly announcing the break-up of their longtime marriage that had never been registered with a relevant state body or the Armenian Apostolic Church. Neither she nor Pashinian gave a clear reason for it.
Hakobian could be seen moving fast behind Pashinian in a nine-second video of himself filmed and posted by him on Facebook on Sunday. A few hours later, the couple made a point of strolling together and visiting a café in Gyumri ahead of a pre-election concert organized there by Armenia’s ruling political team. They made no public statements on their joint appearance which puzzled both their sympathizers and detractors.
The announcement of their divorce was met with suspicion and even ridicule from critics of the Armenian government, who questioned its authenticity. Some of them claimed that Pashinian is trying to score points with voters ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections by distancing himself from Hakobian’s controversial activities and statements. Others speculated that he wants to end opposition claims that a charity run by Hakobian is breaching a law that bans politicians and individuals linked to them from engaging in benevolent activities in the run-up to elections.
Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee pledged to look into those claims earlier in February. The law-enforcement agency has since taken no action against the charity called My Step.
Hakobian, 48, is believed to have exerted a strong influence on Pashinian during his eight-year rule. Some observers have even regarded her as the premier’s closest political confidante.
In a barrage of social media posts, Hakobian resorted in May 2025 to personal insults to attack opposition activists, public figures and other citizens in response to what she called slanderous claims made about her family. She made clear that her use of words like “idiot” and “louse” is part of her government-funded campaign purportedly aimed at helping Armenians become more educated.
Hakobian toured towns and villages across Armenia last spring and summer as part of the “Getting Educated Is Fashionable” campaign launched in late 2024. Pashinian spoke during some of those meetings attended by many local government officials and other public sector employees.