ICRC Meets for the First Time with Armenians Detained Following the September 19 Military Actions

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited a group of Armenians detained by the Azerbaijani authorities earlier this month. Zara Amatuni, the communications manager of the ICRC delegation, shared this information in an interview with Armenpress.

"We continue to meet with all Armenian individuals who have been detained in Azerbaijan and whose names have been confirmed by the Azerbaijani authorities. These are individuals who have been detained in Azerbaijan since 2020, as well as those detained due to escalations in 2021 and September 19, 2023. The visits are periodic. Through these meetings, we provide them the opportunity to maintain contact with their families," Amatuni remarked.

According to Amatuni, the ICRC met with some of these individuals in Baku in October, and, for the first time, met with those detained as a result of the military actions on September 19 earlier this month, for whom confirmations had been received recently.

The visits are conducted in a private format where individual issues and concerns related to each person are discussed. The health conditions of all detainees and their living conditions are of primary concern for ICRC staff. This is done through both individual interviews and tours of available facilities.

"Regarding these considerations and how we follow up on them, this is confidential information and is discussed directly with the local authorities. The purpose of the visits is to see how they are doing, what they need, and if we can provide support to appropriately address those needs. I should note that we do not disclose this information publicly. This allows us to discuss these matters more openly with the responsible authorities for these individuals," Amatuni elaborated.