ICRC acknowledges its illegal activities on Azerbaijan's Lachin border checkpoint

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has acknowledged that its cars have been transporting illegal cargo through the Lachin checkpoint on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border, Azernews reports, citing Trend.

Thus, contracts with 4 drivers of those vehicles have been terminated.

The ICRC noted that it is aware of concerns raised about the transport of unauthorized goods across the Lachin road and does not support any such activity.

"However, we regret that without our knowledge four hired drivers tried to transport some commercial goods in their own vehicles which were temporarily displaying the ICRC emblem. These individuals were not ICRC staff members and their work service contracts were immediately terminated by the ICRC. Our work along the Lachin corridor is always strictly humanitarian," the ICRC said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in order to prevent the transportation of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military equipment from Armenia for Armenian armed groups on the territory of Azerbaijan (which weren't withdrawn contrary to the trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 Second Karabakh War), and as an adequate response to the unilateral establishment of a checkpoint by Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22 at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, on April 23 at 12:00 (GMT+4), the units of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan set up a border checkpoint in its sovereign territories, on the border with Armenia, at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road.