MOSCOW, February 18 (RIA Novosti) - The lower house of parliament voted on Wednesday to retain Vladimir Lukin as Russia's official human rights ombudsman for another five years.

Lukin, 71, was proposed for another term by President Dmitry Medvedev in January.

A Russian liberal political activist, Lukin was a founder of the democratic party Yabloko, served as a State Duma vice speaker and was Russian ambassador to the United States.

Top rights ombudsmen examine complaints on individuals' freedom and rights abuses, take measures to rectify the violations, offer recommendations on the compliance of national legislation with international law, as well as prepare annual reports on his department's activities for the president, parliament, government, the prosecutor general and top courts.

The office was established in Russia in 1997.