Remains of Azerbaijani soldier returned under ICRC auspices
19-11-2008 News Release 08/210
Geneva (ICRC) – The remains of an Azerbaijani soldier were transferred today from Nagorny Karabakh and handed over to the Azerbaijani authorities.
The operation took place in the Agdam district of Azerbaijan under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
" The burial of a husband, father or son is essential to bring closure to the suffering of the family, " said Nadine Bagué, ICRC deputy head of operations for the Southern Caucasus. " Our role is to alleviate the suffering caused by armed conflict and we will continue, to the best of our abilities, to facilitate the exchange of human remains and encourage any initiative relating to missing persons. "
Acting as a neutral intermediary, the ICRC facilitated the transfer at the request of all parties and in full cooperation with them. Since it started working in connection with the Nagorny Karabakh conflict in 1992, the organization has repeatedly helped authorities arrange the transfer of human remains. The ICRC will support any similar operation in the future should the need arise.
For further information, please contact:
Ilaha Huseynova, ICRC Baku, tel +99 412 465 63 35
Ruzanna Vardanyan, ICRC Yerevan, tel +374 10 297 420