Armenia PM's wife enlists to defend Karabakh amid conflict with Azerbaijan

Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, has enlisted herself as part of a 13-member female squad, to defend the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is the main area of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"A detachment of 13 females, including myself, will begin military training exercises," Anna Hakobyan, 42, wrote on her Facebook page.

"In a few days, we will depart to assist with the protection of our borders and our homeland. Neither our homeland nor our dignity will be surrendered to the enemy,“ she wrote on October 26, according to reports in local media.

She had also had written the following on her Facebook page days ago: “Dear Armenian men, it’s time for you to rush to the military front and show the world what Armenian men are capable of doing to protect their homeland, homes, wives, children and parents.”

Prime Minister Pashinyan had also urged Armenians to join the army and fight Azerbaijan's aggression against Karabakh.

On October 5, her son Ashot Pashinyan volunteered to go to the front in Karabakh. He was born in 2000 and had only recently returned from mandatory military service.

Anna Hakobyan is the chief editor of the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper. She also founded the My Step charitable foundation and initiated the Women for the Peace movement.