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ICRC Defense Program coordinator Sylvie Graenicher: â€œICRC recorded 4575 cases of persons missing during the Nagorno Karabakh conflictâ€

24 August 2011 16:36 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva â€“ APA. Defense Program Coordinator of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representation in Azerbaijan Sylvie Graenicher gave interviews to APA and several other news agencies on the occasion of the International Day of Missing People.

- How many persons missing during the Nagorno Karabakh conflict have been recorded by ICRC and how many of them were identified?

- As the neutral humanitarian organization, ICRC does not distinguish between the different missing people for their origin. In relation to Nagorno Karabakh conflict, ICRC recorded 4575 cases of missing people. This number is changing day after day.

- What measures are taken by ICRC in cooperation with the government of Azerbaijan for clarifying the fate of missing persons?

- The collection of Ante Mortem data with the support of the Azerbaijani Red Crescent Society has almost been completed. Ante Mortem data is the information received on the missing persons from the families that helps for identification of them in the future. So far 3631 Ante Mortem data questionaries have been collected from the families of the missing persons in Azerbaijan. There are a few Ante Mortem questionaries that remain to be collected. The same work has been completed on the other side. After the ante mortem data collection the next step was in January, 2011, a license agreement was reached between the State Commission and ICRC on handover of special Ante Mortem database. This Ante Mortem and Post Mortem database was designed by the ICRC for the specific purpose of helping in the identification of the missing persons. In addition to the database, first 150 Ante Mortem data questionaries were handed over to the State Commission in the next months. Staff members of the State Commission are entering the questionaries to the database in close cooperation with ICRC. And Step by step all the questionaries will be handed over to the State Commission to be entered to the database. The collection of Ante Mortem data is done by ICRC in support to the authoritiesâ€™ efforts as the authorities bear primary responsibility to clarify the fate of missing persons.

- Experts claim that search for the missing servicemen is conducted unprofessionally. What does ICRC think about that? How are the search and identification of missing persons conducted?

- ICRC is extremely committed to help authorities in clarifying the fate of the missing persons. ICRC has gained over the years an experience and expertise in clarifying the fate of missing people in other countries. ICRC is trying to support the authorities of Azerbaijan in this field using this experience. Of course, clarifying the fate of missing persons is extremely time-consuming process. ICRC does not distinguish between servicemen and civilians or in the origin of missing persons as I said previously. ICRC visits one Azerbaijani prisoner of war in Armenia and three Armenian prisoners of war and five civilians in Azerbaijan. ICRC has no information about other persons in Azerbaijan or Armenia.

- What does cause the difference between the list of ICRC and the State Commission?

- Several years ago there were a lot of differences between the list of ICRC and the State Commission. Then we compared these lists and then this difference started to decrease. Now this difference is decreasing. One of the main reasons of the difference in the list is that the ICRC opens the questionaries on the appeal of the families. These questionaries are not opened in the State Commission only on the appeal of the families. It causes the difference. I hope that the difference between the list of the ICRC and the State Commission wonâ€™t be or will be very little.

- The agreement on return of captives, civil persons and bodies was achieved at the Astrakhan meeting of the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents and this process accelerated. But this process slowed again recently. Which work is conducted by ICRC towards the return of captives?

- ICRC doesnâ€™t interfere in the negotiations process. As a neutral international organization, the ICRCâ€™s duty is to help this process with the consent of conflict sides. According to our working principle, if the conflict sides appeal to ICRC on the return captives, civil persons and human remains after mutual consent, we implement it. It is needed to take one issue into account that prisoners of war and civilians are interviewed before the repatriation and after their consent their repatriation does take place.

- What is your opinion about launching criminal case against the persons who returned from the captivity?

- This issue is not an issue addressed by the ICRC. It is a domestic issue of the Azerbaijani government and the ICRC doesnâ€™t interfere in it.

- The Armenian press reported that Armenian captive Manvel Saribekyan, who committed suicide on October 5 in the Azerbaijani jail, as if he was subject to torture and as if they got these reports from the ICRC. What is the main position of ICRC on these reports?

- In general, the ICRC doesnâ€™t publicize the infringements found during the visits and the other activities. It is only delivered to the corresponding governmental bodies. The release of such information has surprised me too. As regard to Saribekyanâ€™s issue, the ICRC helped in his delivering to the opposite side basing on the consent and appeal of the both sides.

- Which work is being conducted on the defense of population living in the frontline? Was there any appeal from the ICRC concerning the death of Fariz Badalov and Aygun Shahmaliyev, who were killed by Armenians?

- ICRC records the cases of violation of humanitarian law and informs the relevant governmental bodies about the law breakers. We get these reports either from the victims or on the basis of the testimonies given by the witnesses. Then these reports are documented and handed over to the responsible governmental body. These reports are discussed confidentially either via letters or bilateral meetings. Recording of such cases and its handing over to the opposite side has a purpose of preventing such cases and not distinguishing between the servicemen and civilians.

- ICRC carries out the projects to supply the frontline population with drinking water. What are the latest developments of these projects?

- Currently ICRC carries out a joint project with the British Red Cross Society on the support to the communities living in the front line. This project is implemented in 7 communities of Aghdam, Fuzuli and Terter region. The purpose of this project is to support the guarantee of economic security of poor families living in those villages. The project is implemented under the auspices of local departments of Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society. The work is being conducted on the improvement of water use of people living in these territories. This project implemented under the auspices of the British Red Crescent Society will cover other chosen communities next year.