ICRC Comments on the News of an Artsakh Medic Being Detained by Azerbaijan

Zara Amatuni, head of communication programs for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Armenia, commented on the news of an Artsakh medic being detained by Azerbaijan in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.

Earlier, Artsakh State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan reported that Azerbaijan had detained one of the citizens being transferred to Armenia for treatment through the Red Cross today, moving him from the checkpoint to another location. He noted that an ICRC representative is with the citizen, but negotiations have not yet yielded any results.

In an interview with the news outlet, she stated that in situations like these, where transfers of individuals need to be carried out, they obtain prior consent to ensure that the process is organized smoothly. “This also includes the transfer of information about the individuals being moved. Today’s action was no exception in this regard and was conducted in the same way. Since September, we have maintained this aspect during operations to ensure that we can confidently present accurate information that everything is coordinated. Until now, we have not had such a precedent,” Amatuni noted.

She also emphasized that in any case of issue, they remain in constant contact with the relevant authorities through confidential dialogue.

The head of the ICRC delegation's communication programs stated that they cannot provide more detailed information at this moment about how and what is happening.

It is worth recalling that on December 12, 2022, a group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes closed the Stepanakert-Goris highway connecting Artsakh to Armenia, citing environmental reasons, and left the area on April 28, after Azerbaijan established a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor, taking full control of it. Artsakh has also been deprived of gas and electricity supplies from Armenia. On July 26, 19 trucks loaded with around 400 tons of essential goods departed from Yerevan to Artsakh, which has been under blockade for over 225 days. The trucks reached Kornidzor and stopped, waiting for a response from the Russian peacekeepers to continue their route along the Lachin corridor, which is blocked by Azerbaijan.