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

However, chairman of anti-torture committee of Azerbaijan Elchin Behbudov visited the captive instead. After the meeting, the Azerbaijani human rights defender said Baghdasaryan wants to get citizenship of Azerbaijan, haqqin.az reported.

“Arsen Baghdasaryan had no complaints about detention conditions. He told how difficult it was to live in Armenia and expressed willingness to get citizenship of Azerbaijan,” he 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. No formal information is given on the reasons for Baku’s refusal to allow the ICRC to meet with the Armenian captive. Such a demeanor by the Azerbaijani authorities is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions.