The International Committee of Red Cross, as a neutral mediator, entered into a confidential dialogue with the Azerbaijani authorities over those captured in Azerbaijan during the conflict period, Ashot Astabatsyan, a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told NEWS.am.

 According to him, the talks are confidential and he cannot disclose any details. However, Astabatsyan noted the issue of returning of bodies is also involved in the dialogue.

 Commenting on Press Secretary of Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Eldar Sabiroglu’s statement that the Armenian side is not negotiating the return of the body of the Armenian captive, a representative of the Armenian Defense Ministry Mushegh Avagyan said the ICRC is conducting the talks.

 As NEWS.am informed earlier, referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, the Azerbaijani mass media reported Manvel Saribekyan, an alleged member of the Armenian “diversion” group committed a suicide on October 5. A strangulation scar was discovered on Saribekyan’s neck, characteristic to a hanged person.

“Despite the Armenian side’s comments that Saribekyan was a lost shepherd, who was looking for his missing cattle and crossed the Armenia-Azerbaijani border, Azerbaijan persistently said Saribekyan was a member of an Armenian diversion group. Then the Azerbaijani propaganda machine spread an “interview” with M. Saribekyan through Youtube, in which he says he had been trained for terrorist acts on Azerbaijan’s territory. However, the expert assessment of the video came to a conclusion that Saribekyan was filmed under physical and psychological pressure,” the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement.