ICRC REPRESENTATIVE REFRAINS FROM COMMENTING ON STATE OF ARMENIAN SOLDIERS IN AZERI CAPTIVITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 13, 2010 – 17:17 AMT 12:17 GMT

Currently, one Azerbaijani POW and one civilian are kept in Armenia
while there are six Armenian captives and an Armenian family in
Azerbaijan, ICRC Communication Coordinator in Armenia Ashot Astabatyan
told a press conference in Yerevan.

According to Mr. Astabatyan, ICRC representatives in Azerbaijan visit
Armenian captives, who are provided with the opportunity to contact
their family members. "International Committee of the Red Cross does
not deal with the destiny of the Armenian family, who crossed the
border, as neither their relatives nor state bodies have addressed
the ICRC with this problem," noted he.

He also refrained from answering the question whether the Azerbaijani
side violates the Armenian captives’ rights envisaged by the Geneva
Convention.

Commenting on the situation with missing persons, Mr. Astabatyan
noted that the Red Cross has been dealing with problems of missing
persons since its foundation in Armenia in 1992. "We have dealt on the
issue through three stages in 1995, 1997 and 2004. We have submitted
information about the missing persons to the Armenian leadership
during each stage," he said.

He added that the total number of missing persons makes 4565,
including 401 people from Armenia, 457 – from Karabakh, 3657 – from
Azerbaijan and 10 foreigners. "ICRC in Armenia has collected a data
base regarding 323 persons, who are missing from Armenia. It contains
photos and personal data about these people. Similar work is carried
out in NKR and Azerbaijan," he said.