ICRC: Azerbaijan plans to close representation office in Baku

The Azerbaijani government has informed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of its intention to shut down its representation office in the country.

ICRC Public Relations Officer Aurélie Lachant confirmed to local media that ongoing communications with the authorities are being maintained, Caliber.Az reports.

“We are currently in contact with authorities and those conversations are part of our confidential and bilateral dialogue,” Lachant said, emphasising the importance of maintaining these exchanges.

The decision comes amid longstanding tensions between Baku and the ICRC, particularly regarding its operations in the Karabakh region. In the early 2020s, the ICRC established an office in Khankendi without obtaining prior approval from Azerbaijani authorities. Despite multiple requests from Baku, the organisation refused to disclose the agreement signed with the former illegal separatist regime in the region.

Following the 2020 Second Karabakh War, the ICRC continued its activities in Khankendi, only withdrawing after Azerbaijan’s 2023 anti-terror measures that restored full control over the area. These actions raised concerns in Azerbaijan over the ICRC’s approach to the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Furthermore, Azerbaijani sources have accused the organisation of misconduct, alleging that under the guise of humanitarian aid, the ICRC was involved in smuggling operations. Some of its employees were reportedly engaged in espionage for Armenia during the 44-day war in 2020, with claims that they attempted to obstruct Azerbaijani military operations in the Fuzuli region.

Given these circumstances, Azerbaijani officials have asserted that the continued presence of the ICRC in the country is unnecessary. The ICRC’s office in Baku had been operating since March 3, 1992.

By Aghakazim Guliyev