If the ICRC Does Not Respond, We Will Attempt to Transfer the Body: Peacekeeping Commander's Statement to Helen Dadayan's Relatives

Relatives of Helen Dadayan, a resident of the town of Chartar in Artsakh who died in a car accident on the Gyumri-Yerevan highway, gathered today in front of the ICRC office in Stepanakert, demanding the repatriation of her body.

“Helen’s body has been in the Goris morgue for nearly a week. The ICRC has been delaying their response for some time now. We have come here to ask them to do their job, and at least provide a reason for their inaction. The office manager has not answered our question. They left without responding. Currently, the ICRC is waiting for a response from Azerbaijan,” said Nver Stepanyan, Helen’s brother, in an interview with an Artsakhpress correspondent.

“The state minister Gurgen Nersisyan also joined us and suggested reaching out to the commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in Artsakh, Alexander Lentsov. We met with Lentsov at the airport, who told us to wait; if the ICRC does not respond, they will attempt to transfer the body. If that does not work out, then negotiations must be held for the parents to go and attend the funeral,” Nver Stepanyan added.

It’s worth mentioning that today, the spokesperson of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ani Badalyan stated, “Helen was a resident of Nagorno-Karabakh, studying in Armenia, and died five days ago in a horrific car accident. Azerbaijan refuses to allow Helen's body to be transferred, including through the ICRC, for burial.”