The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has tactfully dismissed the “information” disseminated by APA news agency of Azerbaijan, and with respect to the statement by Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudsperson) of Azerbaijan, Elmira Suleymanova.

In a report dated December 9, the ombudswoman had “assured” that she “met and held discussions with the head of the ICRC about Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev who are imprisoned in Armenia. They told us that the sentence pronounced against Dilgam and Shahbaz through an illegal trial does not comply with the norms of international law and runs contrary to them.”

In actual fact, Suleymanova assures that the ICRC president had spoken about an “illegal trial” and a “sentence which does not comply with the norms of international law.”

The ICRC, however, has issued a statement in connection with this news report.

“In all cases, the ICRC does not pronounce itself on the reasons for arrest and legal aspects of detention and conviction, nor it advocates for the release of the detained persons. What we focus on, is to be able to secure humane treatment and conditions of detention for all detainees. We also seek to alleviate the suffering of their families, particularly by restoring communication between detainees and their relatives.

“The Geneva Conventions are the most widely accepted international treaties in force that define the responsibilities of the parties during armed conflict and set forth the mandate of the ICRC. They do not exempt persons protected by Conventions from judicial process. The treaties require that judicial guarantees are respected. The treaties require that judicial guarantees be respected,’’ reads the respective ICRC statement.