Anna Hakobyan to sue activist over rights violation allegations

Anna Hakobyan, the spouse of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, plans to file a lawsuit against civic activist Daniel Ioannisyan and the Independent Observer monitoring mission, claiming they infringed upon her constitutionally protected rights.

At a hastily convened press briefing on Monday, Hakobyan denounced the watchdog’s petition to the Administrative Court, which challenges charitable activities by the My Step Foundation, as unlawful and damaging. The petition could expose the foundation to fines of up to six million drams under Armenia’s Administrative Offenses Code, which restricts charity linked to political parties during election periods.

Hakobyan argued the move undermined the foundation’s reputation and business standing. She said her legal team is weighing two actions: filing a criminal complaint against Ioannisyan and lodging a civil suit against the Independent Observer coalition seeking compensation for reputational harm.

“I have instructed my lawyers to explore the possibility of initiating criminal proceedings against Daniel Ioannisyan, as well as filing a lawsuit against the Independent Observer coalition for damages inflicted on the My Step Foundation’s reputation and goodwill,” Hakobyan stated.