Activist holds silent protest outside U.S. Embassy in Yerevan

Opposition activist Samvel Vardanyan on Thursday staged a silent, hour-long solo protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, holding up three posters to draw attention to what he describes as ongoing political repression in Armenia reminiscent of the Stalinist era.

One of the posters read: “U.S. Embassy, how long are you going to turn a blind eye to Stalin-era repressions in Armenia? You've taken a side. You are an accomplice. The regime in Armenia enjoys your sponsorship.”

This marks at least the second such protest by Vardanyan this year. On April 17, he held a similar demonstration outside the embassy. Speaking to Panorama.am at the time, he criticized U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien for uncritical support of Armenian law enforcement.

“Ambassador Kvien praises police reforms almost daily, yet we have documented cases of police violence and torture over the past year,” Vardanyan said.