Today the RA National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs approved a government proposal to increase the 2013 budget expenditure allocated to the Office of the Human Rights Defender by 11.8 million AMD.

The Office had presented a budget proposal of 188.4 million.

The Human Rights Defender argued that the increase was necessary to guarantee the independent operation of the agency and to facilitate Armenia’s implementation of its obligations under the U.N. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.