Renowned Armenian monument specialist, historian, folklorist and Head of the Yerevan branch of the Research on Armenian Architecture NGO Samvel Karapetyan has passed away.

Samvel Karapetyan surveyed and cataloged thousands of artifacts of Armenian history and architecture during the course of more than three decades. He was also known as an outspoken critic of the treatment of Armenian monuments in Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

He presented his findings to the US Congress in 2007 and to the European Court of Human Rights in 2008.