The parliamentary Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs received 215 appeals in 2013, said committee chair, Prosperous Armenia faction MP Elinar Vardanyan, in a telephone conversation with Hetq.

This compares with the 115 appeals the committee received between July and December 2012.

Asked whether this means human rights were more violated in 2013, Vardanyan said: "To tell the truth, I find it difficult to draw a comparison. It's not that human rights were more protected in 2012. Unfortunately, we need to stress the fact that there are no positive strides from year to year in terms of human rights protection in our country. I consider it wrong to make comparisons because I can no longer say anything that's at least positive."

In terms of the content of the appeals, Vardanyan said: "The appeals are diverse, from complaints against the actions of various state bodies to appeals of a personal nature, which often we cannot proceed with. I have to note that the majority of the appeals in 2013 we later addressed to the prosecution, the general prosecutor, because they directly related to various legal offenses that have taken place, why not, also by investigative bodies."

The committee doesn't produce an annual report, since, according to the committee chair, it has no such obligation or jurisdiction.

Asked how many appeals were resolved, Vardanyan said: "In fact, it should be noted that since the National Assembly, as you yourselves know, is a legislative body, it has no authority to provide solutions. It can send those solicited appeals and letters to this or that state body, and I have to highlight that in this case those bodies are much more consistent in following up, and the actions and results in individual cases are satisfactory."