ICRC responds to accusations from Azerbaijan

ArmInfo.The International Committee of the Red Cross in Azerbaijan issued a statement in connection with the false allegations about its activities.

A press release issued by the organisation on February 17, reads in  part, "number of false allegations related to the ICRC, which may  have a detrimental effect not only on our activities in the places  where we work but, importantly, may deprive thousands of people of  the lifesaving services we offer here in Azerbaijan".

"Over the past 160 years, the ICRC has spared no efforts in  protecting and assisting people suffering the consequences of armed  conflict around the world. We have always stood by our core  principles that guide our work:  neutrality, which means not  interfering in politics and not favouring one side, and impartiality,  which means helping affected people wherever they may live, wherever  they may be.

These principles of neutrality and impartiality are not always well  understood, but they remain important for our humanitarian work."

"We have been present in Azerbaijan and the region since 1992. During  the 1990s alone, and in keeping with our role, we helped repatriate  over 360 detainees across the contact lines, to and from Azerbaijan,  returning them to their families.

We helped detainees and civilians in the region who had been  separated from their families to keep in touch with their loved ones,  delivering some 30,000 messages.

During this period, we reached over 260,000 displaced and vulnerable  people, including in Fizuli, Agdam, Terter, Kelbajar, Barda and  Nakhchivan, distributing food, blankets, clothing and basic  necessities with other partners.

Since the nineties, at the request of thousands of families, we began  documenting and preserving information about the missing. Such data  was shared in a timely manner with the Azerbaijani authorities, who  are ultimately responsible for clarifying the fate of the missing,  not the ICRC.  What can be done at our level is to support such  efforts through technical expertise, capacity building and helping  families cope with uncertainty and the loss of loved ones. This is  what we have done in the past and continue to do today to assist the  authorities in the search for missing persons in Azerbaijan," the  press release said.

"Since December last year, we have been conducting humanitarian  operations along the Lachin road as a neutral humanitarian  facilitator.  During this period we have been able to transfer 99  patients in need of urgent medical care, reunite 259 people with  their families and deliver medicines, food and baby formula to  hospitals.

These operations are coordinated with all stakeholders each time. We  discuss and inform them about all logistical aspects: what we are  transporting and who we are transporting in our vehicles, and get  their consent and agreement to do so.

The ICRC has a very specific role and working standards entrusted to  it by all signatory states to the Geneva Conventions. This role  allows us to monitor, promote and advise states and authorities on  issues related to international humanitarian law (IHL). But it is  important to recall that they are obliged to observe and respect its  provisions, including those relating to prisoners of war and  detainees.

As for the latter, the ICRC has the right to visit them, to register  them, to discuss with them privately the conditions of their  internment and their treatment, to exchange news between them and  their families, and to raise their concerns with the authorities.  However, it is the responsibility of the detention authority to  preserve the life, dignity and well-being of detainees and to decide  on their release," the document goes on to say.

"Sometimes we are asked why we do not share our observations publicly  and punish the guilty? If we don't communicate publicly, it doesn't  mean we don't care, on the contrary. Whenever we observe violations  of any standards of IHL, we directly and persistently raise them  bilaterally and confidentially with the party concerned.  Confidentiality can give us a better chance of changing certain  behaviour and violations of IHL.

Our efforts may not always be visible to the public and progress can  take time. Sometimes such work does not lead to successful results.  But the ICRC, as a humanitarian organisation, cannot force States to  comply with their legal obligations.

We are humanitarians, not politicians. The responsibility to prevent  and punish violations of IHL lies first and foremost with the states.  The ICRC cannot get involved in legal proceedings or divulge any  information about what we see or discover in the course of our work.   Finally, amidst the proliferation of false allegations,  misinformation, and political debates, we would like to reiterate the  need not to politicise humanitarian aid.

We also call on all parties to do everything possible to continue to  maintain this neutral humanitarian space for the benefit of affected  populations in Azerbaijan and elsewhere," they concluded, Turan  reports.