Top US official meets with Armenian opposition MPs

MPs from the opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem blocs on Thursday met with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Kara McDonald, who arrived in Yerevan on Wednesday.

At the meeting, deputies Aram Vardevanyan, Anna Grigoryan, Gegham Manukyan and Taguhi Tovmasyan briefed the top diplomat on the internal political situation in Armenia as well as the situation regarding the judiciary and freedom of speech, the Hayastan alliance said in a statement.

Special attention was paid to police brutality against peaceful protesters in Yerevan as well as human rights violations recorded in the judicial system in recent years.

The lawmakers also pointed to pressure on the media and the steps taken by the authorities to restrict the activities of media outlets through numerous legislative amendments.