Negotiations are now under way with Armenia and Azerbaijan for the return of eight POWs, six civilians, as well as two dead bodies, Ashot Astabatsyan, a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told NEWS.am.

He did not say anything about the treatment of the POWs, as the information on POWs is classified under the ICRC regulations.

“An ICRC representative regularly visits our POWs. However, the visit results remain confidential, and we continue a confidential dialogue with the relevant authorities. In our case, it is the Armenian authorities,” Astabatsyan said.

In his turn, Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense Spokesman Eldar Sabiroghlu claimed “the principle of revenge, not humanism, is being applied to POWs in Armenia.”

Without commenting on the Azeri official’s claims, Astabatsyan found it difficult to say how he was informed of the treatment of POWs in Armenia.

The ICRC is a neutral mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan facilitating the return of POWs to their homeland. On April 7, 2010, one Azeri POW was handed over to Azerbaijan. On April 3, the bodies of two persons killed on the Azerbaijani-Karabakh border were handed over.

Pascale Meige Wagner, ICRCs head of operations for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, recently visited to Armenia. Accompanied by Nadya Kebir Raoloson, head of the ICRC in Armenia, she held a meeting with RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan. The sides discussed the problem of POWs and civilian hostages.

They also discussed the problem of Armenian hostages in Azerbaijan, particularly the issue of Manvel Saribekyan, who was recently detained and branded “a saboteur” by Azeri mass media.