ICRC reps visit Azerbaijani soldiers captured by Armenia

Head of the PR department of the Azerbaijani representative office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Ilaha Huseynova has said that in November ICRC representatives again visited Azerbaijanis held in Armenia.

Individual meetings were held with these hostages and conditions were created for getting in touch with their families, Huseynova told APA.

“According to its mandate, ICRC, during such visits, assesses the treatment of detainees and the conditions of their detention. ICRC also creates conditions for them to restore or continue getting in touch with their families. According to the ICRC procedures, observations and recommendations in connection with visits are shared and discussed only with the side detaining them,” the message says.

Azerbaijani servicemen Agshin Babirov, 19, and Huseyn Akhundov, 20, went missing due to limited visibility and bad weather conditions in Shahbuz district of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic bordering Armenia. Babirov and Akhundov were detained by Armenia.

Babirov and Akhundov accused of “illegally crossing the state border of Armenia, carrying firearms and ammunition” were arrested.

Akhundov is also accused of “murdering a security guard at the Zangezur copper-molybdenum plant”.

Babirov was sentenced to 11.5 years in prison while Akhundov - to 20 years in prison.