Ombudsman’s office: Multiple appeals made to ICRC over Azerbaijanis detained in Armenia

During the war and immediately after it ended, Azerbaijan repeatedly appealed to the ICRC operating in Armenia regarding the protection of Azerbaijanis held there, Aydin Safikhanli, Head of the Azerbaijani Ombudsman’s Office said at a seminar in Baku dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, Repor informs.

"Unfortunately, they couldn't protect Azerbaijanis either. However, during the war and immediately after it, we ensured video communication between detained Armenians and their families," Safikhanli noted.

Mareh Shervashidze, head of the detention group at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation in Azerbaijan, spoke about the committee's activities in detention facilities, emphasizing that each visit begins with a conversation with the facility's management:

"After the initial conversation, we inspect the area and building. Then we have private conversations with detained persons, facilitate communication with their families if requested, and conclude with a final discussion with the facility's management. Poor detention conditions can be considered ill-treatment."

Shervashidze added that in 2023, the ICRC conducted 2,564 visits to 885 detention facilities worldwide:

"In this framework, 837,029 persons were visited. The ICRC monitored the cases of 14,020 people in 2023. The visits took place within 84 different contexts."