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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continues efforts to restore dialogue with the Azerbaijani authorities, ICRC Armenia Communications and Prevention Manager Zara Amatuni told journalists in Gyumri while addressing the issue of obtaining information about Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan following the closure of the organization’s office in Azerbaijan.
The ICRC closed its office in Azerbaijan in September after 33 years of operation.
“If we talk about the people held there, our last visit took place in June. Since then, we have not had the opportunity to meet with them, and therefore we are unaware of their condition or of the issues we typically monitor during such visits. Without being physically present, it is no longer possible to follow all humanitarian issues related to the conflict that our organization was addressing in Azerbaijan,” Amatuni said.
She noted that such situations are rare in the ICRC's practice. "Our organization continues to look for ways to restore dialogue with the authorities in question, for the sake of our humanitarian mission and for the benefit of those who still require protection,” she said, adding that the circumstances surrounding the suspension of ICRC activities in Azerbaijan are not public, as much of the organization’s work is conducted confidentially.
“Humanitarian issues related to the Karabakh conflict remain in our focus in Armenia. This includes the issue of missing persons, strengthening the capacities of forensic services, and addressing the needs of border communities. All these issues remain priorities for us despite our absence in Azerbaijan,” Amatuni added.