Geneva (ICRC) - An Armenian soldier who had crossed the Line of Contact on 22 March 2015 was returned today in an operation carried out under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The handover of the prisoner of war took place at the Line of Contact near the village of Bash Garvand in the Aghdam district of Azerbaijan.
During his captivity, the ICRC regularly visited him to assess the conditions in which he was held, the treatment he received and to facilitate contact with his family.
Acting as a neutral intermediary and in accordance with its mandate, the ICRC facilitated the return following the decision of the Azerbaijani authorities and with the full cooperation of all sides. The prisoner of war had previously confirmed to ICRC staff that he was returning of his own free will.
On the basis of its mandate under the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC has been working in the region since 1992 in connection with the Nagorny Karabakh conflict.
For further information, please contact:
Ilaha Huseynova, ICRC Baku, tel: +99450 316 00 24
Eteri Musayelyan, ICRC mission in Nagorny-Karabakh, tel: +374 47 943740
Jenny Tobias, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 79 536 92 48
