The Ombudsman raised landmines issue before the ICRC Country Representative

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ms. Sabina Aliyeva received the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Azerbaijan Ms. Arian Bauer.

During the meeting, Ombudsman said that Armenia’s refusal to provide maps of mines planted by Armenia in the formerly occupied areas of Azerbaijan remains a serious problem for Azerbaijan.

Following the trilateral statement, dated November 10, 2020, to cease the hostilities between the two countries, the Ombudsman several times visited the detained members of the armed group of Armenia, who were accused of criminal offenses in the territory of Azerbaijan. They were detained and are under investigation. The ad hoc reports concerning the outcomes of the monitoring were submitted to relevant international organizations.

It was noted that the ceasefire violations by Armenia since 24 May 2021 are a matter of concern as an attempt to re-establish a hotbed of conflict and threaten human rights. The Ombudsman also said that on the night of May 27, another provocative attempt of the Armenian reconnaissance and sabotage group to enter the territory of Azerbaijan was prevented.

The Ombudsman also stressed that human rights violations by Armenia have been repeatedly raised before the relevant international organizations. It was noted that such steps are a serious obstacle to the establishment of peace in the region after the Patriotic War, which ended the occupation that lasted for almost 30 years.

The ICRC Country Representative Ms. Bauer thanked the Ombudsman for the reception and said that she was closely acquainted with the Ombudsman's reports issued during the conflict and post-conflict periods. She spoke about the joint cooperation between the two institutions and stressed the importance of further strengthening ties in the future.

In the end, the parties discussed the principles of future cooperation.