Azerbaijan Hides True Number of Prisoners and Their Locations: Ararat Mirzoyan to ICRC Vice President

On October 22, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan received a delegation led by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Vice President Gilles Carbonnier.

Emphasizing the important work carried out by the ICRC, Mirzoyan highlighted the organization’s characteristics as a neutral and impartial entity that has operated in both Armenia and Artsakh since 1992.

The Armenian Foreign Minister stressed Armenia's willingness to continue supporting the ICRC’s mission in Armenia and Artsakh, in accordance with the protocols that have existed for three decades.

During the meeting, the necessity of ICRC’s operations, as the only international organization currently present in Artsakh, was underscored in the context of providing assistance to the population affected by Azerbaijani aggression.

Mirzoyan emphasized that the prompt return of prisoners of war and civilian hostages remains a foremost issue. He noted that Azerbaijan continues to create artificial obstacles regarding the return of prisoners, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and the November 9, 2020 statement.

Mirzoyan also pointed out that despite the evidence provided by the Armenian side, Azerbaijan hides the true number of prisoners and their places of detention, which creates serious grounds to suspect a situation of enforced disappearances.

The ICRC delegation expressed its readiness to continue supporting the Armenian authorities in overcoming humanitarian challenges created by the post-war situation.