Azerbaijan / Armenia: ICRC facilitates handover of Armenian citizen

Geneva/Yerevan/Baku (ICRC) – An Armenian civilian was repatriated today in an operation carried out under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The woman had crossed the international border into Azerbaijan on 8 November 2015. Today's handover took place on the road between the Azerbaijani town of Gazakh and the Armenian town of Ijevan, at the international border.

Acting as a neutral intermediary and in accordance with its mandate, the ICRC facilitated this repatriation in conjunction with the Azerbaijani and Armenian authorities. The individual in question had previously confirmed to ICRC staff that she was returning of her own free will. ICRC representatives were also in contact with her family prior to the operation.

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:
Zara Amatuni, ICRC Yerevan, tel: +374 99 011 360
Ilaha Huseynova, ICRC Baku, tel: +99450 316 00 24
Jenny Tobias, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 79 536 92 48