STEPANAKERT. – The removal of the Azerbaijani dead bodies from the neutral zone was not carried out because of the Azerbaijani—and not the Artsakh—side.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Ministry of Defense (NKR/Artsakh Republic MOD) on Monday issued a statement in this regard. 

Accordingly, the Azerbaijan defense ministry on Monday finally publicized the names of its casualties which appeared at the neutral zone, and as a result of its offensive operations towards the NKR positions in the morning of February 25; but not forgetting to mention that, “the Artsakh side prevented the process of removal of the corpses, by positing new demands.” 

The Artsakh MOD also stated that, according to the arrangement that was reached on February 25 between the sides, and by the mediation of the Personal Representative of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairman-in-Office, the removal of the Azerbaijani corpses from the neutral zone was to take place on Sunday, and with participation by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“But yesterday, the process of removal of the Azerbaijani corpses was not carried, not at the Artsakh, but the Azerbaijani side’s fault, since the latter violated the arrangement that was previously reached during negotiations,” the NKR MOD statement also reads.