Karen Andreasyan has criticized the omission of an additional 11 million AMD in funding for the Human Rights Defender Office he heads.

In a public communiqué, Andreasyan says the additional funding is vital regarding the Office’s activities to prevent incidents of torture and violence in Armenia’s correctional facilities.

He argues the additional funding is symbolic but necessary in order for Armenia to fulfil its international obligations and those the government has made to its citizens.

Andreasyan points out that while his Office operates on an annual budget of 176 million AMD, the government recently spent 106 million on a study to evaluate its own efficacy and the quality of its website.