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ICRC: Baku informed us of its intention to close our delegation in Azerbaijan -UPDATED

05 March 2025 16:06 (UTC +04:00)

Additions have been made to the report.

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15:01

"We have been made aware of the Azerbaijani government’s intentions for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to close our delegation in Azerbaijan," Aurélie Lachant, a public relations specialist for the ICRC told APA.

“We are currently in contact with authorities and those conversations are part of our confidential and bilateral dialogue,” - she said

Which international organizations' representations are closing in Azerbaijan?

The Official Baku has proposed the closure of four UN offices in the country, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Additionally, the Azerbaijani government has sent a notice to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) about the closure of its delegation in the country.

The government emphasizes that this does not mean the halting of the cooperation with international organizations. Azerbaijan will continue cooperation with the regional and headquarters offices of these organizations.

The International Committee of the Red Cross and Azerbaijan

According to the government's justification, there is no need for the current activities of the local representation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The government believes that the reasons that necessitated the ICRC's activities have already disappeared.

It is worth mentioning that there have been some problems between Azerbaijan and the International Committee of the Red Cross in the past.

In the early 2020s, the committee opened an office in Khankandi without notifying Azerbaijan. Despite Azerbaijan's insistence at the time, the ICRC did not close the office. Even after Azerbaijan's territorial integrity was restored in 2020, the International Committee of the Red Cross refused to close its office in Khankandi.

In addition, there are facts on the Azerbaijani side regarding the ICRC engaging in smuggling under the guise of a humanitarian mission. In 2023, the State Border Service (SBS) employees detected an attempt to illegally transport various types of contraband in vehicles belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross. During that period, the SBS highlighted that it had previously warned the ICRC about such activities.

The State Border Service (SBS) report stated that the use of emergency medical vehicles, which were meant for patient evacuations, for smuggling purposes not only constitutes a blatant violation of Azerbaijan's laws but also represents an attempt to abuse the trust placed in the ICRC. In connection with this, the Azerbaijani side had initiated a criminal case.

Another piece of information is related to committee employees engaging in espionage activities for Armenia in an attempt to disrupt the Azerbaijani Army's operations in the Fuzuli direction.