What Can the ICRC Do When a Person Is Abducted by Its Employees? A Representative Responds

Our delegation leader met with members of the initiative group, and during a lengthy conversation, we addressed the issues raised by the youth. This was stated by Zara Amatuni, head of communication programs at the ICRC Armenian office, during a press briefing in front of the UN office in Yerevan.

“Naturally, we have been able to present our organization’s approach rather comprehensively, how the organization operates in this situation, including the nuances that may be improperly questioned and may lead to misunderstandings when our organization works to address the issues it sees,” she added.

In response to the question of what the ICRC can do when a person is abducted from the hands of Red Cross representatives, Zara Amatuni replied, “Our organization does not have any subordinate relationship to any other organization; we are an independent, neutral, and impartial organization whose humanitarian mission is directed at finding opportunities for people suffering from conflicts, helping and protecting them. We work to find solutions, but we do not search for solutions in any place other than right there, where they are happening.”

Amatuni clarified that the activities of the ICRC do not involve accompanying any armed groups or military representatives, and if there is a threat, we simply do not operate.

Zara Amatuni also referred to the meeting of ICRC representatives with Vagif Khachatryan in a hospital in Baku, noting that during that visit, an opportunity was given to establish contact with the family. Amatuni assured that the family members are informed first about the visit, and afterward, very little information is provided to the public about what was observed during the visits or what needs to be addressed.