YEREVAN. – The Azerbaijani authorities have not yet permitted the Baku representatives of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to see Armenian captive Arsen Baghdasaryan.   

ICRC Yerevan Office Communications Officer Zara Amatuni told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the Red Cross representatives have not yet been with the captive.

“The ICRC representatives are still negotiating on this matter with the leadership of the relevant [Azerbaijani] bodies,” Amatuni said.

Arsen Baghdasaryan, an ex-conscript of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army, was taken into Azerbaijan captivity on December 26 of the year past. The Azerbaijani authorities do not allow the ICRC to meet with the Armenian captive for more than a month now, and no formal information is given on the reasons for this refusal. Such a demeanor by the Azerbaijani authorities is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions; this is so not solely with respect to not permitting the ICRC representatives to see the Armenian captive, but depriving him of the opportunity to transfer letters.