Disagreements Exist on the Status of Detainees, Baku and Yerevan Must Resolve This Issue Among Themselves – ICRC Director

“Progress has been made in the issue of the return of detainees, they are returning home. At the same time, there are still disagreements regarding the status of several of those detained: whether they are considered prisoners of war, what their status is, and whether they can return. We continue to address these issues,” said Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in an interview with Izvestia. This was reported by armtimes.com.

He noted that the Red Cross has direct access to detainees. “The Azerbaijani government informed us that there were disagreements with the Armenian side regarding the status of the detained. Baku and Yerevan need to resolve this issue among themselves. We can share our experience, we can provide some advice, but the respective governments must decide for themselves and finally assess the status. We are in contact with both sides. And I hope that it will be possible to find a resolution regarding all detainees in the future, who are located in Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Maurer said in response to a question about the status of detainees classified as diversants.

Responding to a question about the conditions in which detainees are held in Azerbaijan, the ICRC stated that they do not provide a public assessment of this matter. “We have direct access, we visit to assess the conditions of detention, however, as you know, this is a confidential process for the ICRC. We cooperate with the authorities of all countries in the region to conduct our observations. I cannot say more,” he noted.