The office of Armenia’s human rights defender (HRD) received grants worth 22.9 million drams (about $51,000) in 2021, Ombudsperson Kristine Grigoryan said at budget discussions in the parliament on Thursday.

One of the programs is being implemented with funds allocated by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry to the HRD’s office. The agreement was signed in 2019, but because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war, it was postponed until 2021, Grigoryan said.

The program is more than 90 percent implemented, she added.

The other program is funded by the UN and is aimed at developing the capacity of the ombudsperson’s office, Grigoryan said, adding the program is over 80% implemented.

Separately, she said that in 2021 the ombudsperson’s staff visited about 200 children, informing them about their rights.

Complaints to the office concerning children's rights increased by 154 to 904 last year, the defender said.

Meanwhile, complaints from people with disabilities increased by 251. In addition, the HRD’s office hotline received 14,124 calls in 2021, a 20% increase from 2020.