Armtimes

Anna Hakobyan is one of the founders of Dareskizb LLC, which owns the online media outlet Haykakan Zhamanak. She initially held 50% of the company. In 2002, four founders transferred their 10% stakes—totaling 40%—to Anna Hakobyan and Hayk Gevorgyan, granting 20% to each. This increased Anna Hakobyan's stake to 70%. In 2014, she transferred her entire stake to her mother, Kima Mkrtchyan.

Anna Hakobyan is married to Nikol Pashinyan, who founded Armenian Times newspaper in 1999 and served as its editor-in-chief before entering politics. He became Prime Minister of Armenia in 2018 following the Velvet Revolution.

Hakobyan graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at Yerevan State University. She worked as a journalist at Haykakan Zhamanak from 2003 and has served as editor-in-chief since 2013. In March 2024, she became president of the My Step Foundation. From 2018 to 2020, she chaired the Board of Trustees of the City of Smile charitable foundation.

Hakobyan frequently attracts media attention for her social media posts. She regularly comments on statements made by opposition politicians, sometimes using confrontational language.

Petros Makeyan is one of the founders of Dareskizb LLC, currently holding a 10% stake in the company. He is a physicist and economist by education, having graduated from the Gyumri Pedagogical Institute and the Irkutsk Institute of National Economy. Makeyan has a long career in Armenian public service and politics, serving as chairman of the Artik district executive committee, Member of Parliament, and Deputy Governor of Shirak. He has led and founded several political initiatives, including the Democratic Homeland party and the Alternative socio-political initiative. Makeyan is known for his opposition stance and for actively participating in major national movements and alliances. His public statements and legal actions suggest strained relations with Armenia’s current ruling elite.

Samvel Gasparyan is a co-founder of Dareskizb LLC and previously held a 10% stake in the company. He was active in politics as a member of the Intellectual Armenia party, which was represented in the National Assembly only during its first convocation with two MPs. Gasparyan left Dareskizb LLC in September 2002.

Mkrtich Gimishyan is a co-founder of Dareskizb LLC, where he held a 10% share until September 2002. He has a background in politics, serving as a Member of Parliament for the Armenian National Movement party from 1995 to 1999. Since 2005, Gimishyan has chaired the Christian-Democratic Revival party.

Armen Khojoyan is a co-founder of Dareskizb LLC and formerly held a 10% share in the company until his departure in September 2002. In September 2025, he ran for the Oversight Commission of the Civil Contract party, receiving 244 votes but was not elected. His son, Arman Khojoyan, currently serves as Deputy Minister of Economy of Armenia.

Armen Kirakosyan was a co-founder of Dareskizb LLC, holding a 10% participation in the company until September 2002. He was a member of the Armenian National Movement and served as a Member of Parliament. Kirakosyan passed away in February 2025.

Gevorg Derzyan has served as director of Dareskizb LLC since June 2024. From August 2021 to October 2024, he worked as an assistant to Arusyak Manavazyan, a Member of Parliament from the Civil Contract faction. He has also worked as press secretary at Saint Astvatsamayr Medical Center.

Anna Hakobyan is one of the founders of Dareskizb LLC, which owns the online media outlet Haykakan Zhamanak. She initially held 50% of the company. In 2002, four founders transferred their 10% stakes—totaling 40%—to Anna Hakobyan and Hayk Gevorgyan, granting 20% to each. This increased Anna Hakobyan's stake to 70%. In 2014, she transferred her entire stake to her mother, Kima Mkrtchyan.

Anna Hakobyan is married to Nikol Pashinyan, who founded Armenian Times newspaper in 1999 and served as its editor-in-chief before entering politics. He became Prime Minister of Armenia in 2018 following the Velvet Revolution.

Hakobyan graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at Yerevan State University. She worked as a journalist at Haykakan Zhamanak from 2003 and has served as editor-in-chief since 2013. In March 2024, she became president of the My Step Foundation. From 2018 to 2020, she chaired the Board of Trustees of the City of Smile charitable foundation.

Hakobyan frequently attracts media attention for her social media posts. She regularly comments on statements made by opposition politicians, sometimes using confrontational language.

Nikol Pashinyan is a journalist turned politician who founded Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper in 1999 and served as its editor-in-chief until 2012. From 2006 to 2008, he also served as director of Dareskizb LLC, the company that owns the outlet. He became Prime Minister of Armenia in 2018 following the Velvet Revolution.Since 1992, Pashinyan worked with various newspapers. In 1998, he founded the daily newspaper Oragir, which was shut down by court order in 1999 for political reasons. During his journalistic career, several criminal cases were initiated against him on charges of defamation and insult. In August 1999, he was sentenced to one year of conditional imprisonment. At the request of the international and Armenian journalistic community, the appellate court postponed execution of the sentence for one year, which resulted in the imprisonment not being carried out.

Pashinyan began his political career as an opposition figure by participating in the founding of the Alternative socio-political movement in 2006. In the 2007 parliamentary elections, he was the top candidate on the Impeachment alliance list. During the 2008 presidential elections, he served as a member of Levon Ter-Petrosyan's campaign headquarters. After the events of March 1, 2008, he went into hiding for one year and four months while wanted by law enforcement. On July 1, 2009, he voluntarily surrendered to the prosecutor's office and was arrested. In January 2010, he was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of organizing mass disturbances. After serving one year and eleven months, he was released on May 27, 2011, under an amnesty. Following his release, he was elected to the National Assembly in the 2012 parliamentary elections on the proportional list of the Armenian National Congress alliance.

In 2013, he founded the Civil Contract public-political association, which became a party in 2015. In the April 2, 2017 parliamentary elections, he was again elected to the National Assembly on the Yelk alliance's electoral list. From May 2017, he served as head of the Yelk parliamentary faction.

In 2018, Pashinyan launched the My Step movement, which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan following the Velvet Revolution. Pashinyan was elected Prime Minister of Armenia and is currently serving his third term, which will conclude in 2026. His Civil Contract party is preparing to participate in the 2026 elections.