HRD: Regional offices will close if 65 million AMD not provided

Additional 65 million AMD should be allocated from the state budget for effective work of the Office of Human Rights Defender, otherwise we will have to close our regional offices and the rapid response service, Human Rights Defender Karen Andreasian said during the discussion of the state budget’s implementation in the National Assembly today.

“It is not blackmail. There is no other option,” K. Andreasian added.

He also spoke about grants given by international donor organizations, noting such grants may affect the independence of the HRD Office.

“In particular, when providing a grant, donors demand that Human Rights Defender’s statements be coordinated with them. Even in Armenia, I never coordinate my statements with anyone, and it would be even more inappropriate for the ombudsman to reconcile his statement with some other body,” Karen Andreasian said.