Reports of 150 Armenian Prisoners of War in Azerbaijan Are False: Zara Amatuni

The head of communication and prevention programs at the Armenian office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Zara Amatuni, states that circulating news about 150 Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan is false. According to Armenpress, Amatuni made this statement during an online discussion held on November 27.

“We have attempted to clarify with the media outlets that shared this information regarding the source of their news, but we were unable to find it. The ICRC has never published and will not publish statistical data about missing persons. We work with the authorities on each case confidentially, as our work takes place in rather sensitive situations. Only the parties involved have the authority to disclose information about detained individuals. We can only keep the fates of these individuals in focus. The families of the detained are also informed about our visits,” Amatuni stated.

Regarding the ICRC's role in the return of detainees, Zara Amatuni emphasized that the ICRC does not have such a function. “Under international legal obligations, we inform the parties that the detainees should be kept away from public attention. Decisions regarding their return can only be made by the parties involved, while the ICRC can only assist,” Amatuni noted.