Ombudsman received the newly appointed Head of the ICRC Baku Delegation

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ms. Sabina Aliyeva received the newly appointed Head of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) Baku Delegation, Ms. Ariane Bauer and the previous Head, Ms. Elena Ajmone Sessera.

During the meeting, Ms. Aliyeva has noted that from the very beginning of its activity, the Ombudsman Office of Azerbaijan has established effective cooperation with international organizations, including the ICRC and its Country Delegation in the relevant areas. 

The Ombudsman gave broad information to the diplomat about the activities of the Office reiterating that the Office has temporarily suspended the reception of applicants due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it continues receiving online complaints, appeals via post, a unified hotline and social networking.   

Ms. Aliyeva also stated that currently the citizens of Azerbaijan and their families, including women and children, who left the country for taking part in civil war and joining the various armed groups in Syria are holding hostage and captive in various refugee tent camps of this country. It was also noted that the wounded and sick persons are neglected, being medically untreated in the camps and that the children are tortured, forcibly taken from their families or abducted by the illegal armed groups exercising control over those areas. According to the Ombudsman, the situation in the tent camps in Syria, where the hostages and captives are holding, has reached a level of humanitarian crisis and danger to a human life.    

Given the all mentioned and the requirements of the Geneva Conventions, Ms. Aliyeva asked to assist in protecting the interests of the citizens of Azerbaijan currently being taken hostage as a result of Syrian war, in obtaining and verifying the information about those persons, in raising this question before the peacekeeping missions operating in a conflict zone, in preventing torture and inhumane treatment of them during their hostage-taking period, in providing humanitarian support for persons in need in the tents and medical aid to those wounded and sick, and in returning them to Azerbaijan to join to their families under the mandate of the ICRC.         

Ms. Aliyeva also highlighted that though the HRCA has addressed Statements to the influential international organizations, including ICRC, concerning the violation of human rights of  Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Askerov, held hostage by Armenian armed forces in 2014, while visiting the graves of their parents, located in the territories under the occupation of Armenia, they are still holding hostage, their severely violated rights and freedoms have not been restored and that Armenia was not held liable for the concerned matter by the international community.    

At the meeting, the parties have discussed the issues related to the situation at borderline, as well as the future directions in bilateral cooperation.

In turn, the guest suggested holding joint awareness-raising events in the regions in order to increase knowledge and skills in the field of international humanitarian law.

At the end, the ICRC delegation members thanked for the warm welcoming and exchange of views, as well as agreed to collaborate in relation to the issues raised by the HRCA in their capacity.