ICRC Ready to Assist in the Transfer of Remains of the Deceased and the Release of Detainees

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has a long history of acting as a neutral intermediary in conflicts worldwide, and we are hopeful that this operation will be carried out swiftly to return the remains of those who died in combat to their families for dignified mourning,

said Martin Schuepp, ICRC’s Regional Director for Eurasia. “We are also ready to assist in the release of detainees currently under the control of the parties to the conflict so that they can reunite with their families.”

In response to the escalation of the conflict at the end of September, the ICRC has offered its services to the parties to address humanitarian needs and act as a neutral intermediary. The ICRC is not involved in political negotiations.

According to international humanitarian law governing armed conflict, the parties involved have an obligation to remove and evacuate the deceased without discrimination based on which side they fought on. The ICRC stands ready to provide technical advice to the parties for the identification of the deceased according to international humanitarian law, and then support the return of remains.

“We regularly discuss with the parties and have expressed our willingness to discuss the nature of the ICRC’s involvement in supporting the return of detainees and remains, including issues regarding the organization of work and guarantees of safety for our teams,” added Schuepp. “We also hope that this agreement will turn into significant comfort for families after weeks of intense fighting.”

Earlier, during the escalation of the conflict along the contact line in 2016, which claimed many lives, the ICRC supported the parties in conducting similar operations. Thanks to coordinated efforts, it was possible to transfer all the deceased to their families at that time and to avoid adding new names to the list of over 4,500 missing persons from the 1992 conflict.

Since the beginning of its activities related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1992, the organization has repeatedly supported the authorities in such operations.