ICRC Defense Program coordinator Sylvie Graenicher: ICRC recorded 4575 cases of persons missing during the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
25 August 2011 [12:00] - TODAY.AZ
Defense Program Coordinator of
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representation in
Azerbaijan Sylvie Graenicher gave interview 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 authorities’ 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 won’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 doesn’t interfere in the negotiations process. As a neutral
international organization, the ICRC’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 doesn’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 doesn’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 Saribekyan’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 letter of bilateral meetings. The record of
such cases or 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.
/APA/
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