BAKU, Azerbaijan (June 19) – Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) made another visit to Armenian detainees held in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, during June. The visits were conducted with individuals whose names were confirmed to the ICRC by Azerbaijani authorities.
During these visits, ICRC staff held private conversations with the detainees, delivered parcels from their families, and facilitated communication between the detainees and their relatives, the ICRC confirmed to several media outlets, including Armenian News-NEWS.am, Trend, and APA.
“As part of its mandate, the ICRC assesses the treatment of detainees and the conditions of their detention, ensuring that detainees can restore or maintain contact with their families,” said Zara Amatuni, Communications and Prevention Manager of ICRC Armenia. The organization added that all findings and recommendations from such visits are shared exclusively with the detaining authorities.
This visit comes amid increasing scrutiny of the ICRC’s operations in the country. On June 17, Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons announced that it would soon suspend the activities of the ICRC’s representation in Azerbaijan, raising questions about the future of such humanitarian missions.