“Progress has been registered on the issue of the return of prisoners; they will return to their homes. At the same time, there are still disagreements regarding some of the detainees — whether they are considered prisoners of war, what status they have, and whether they can return. We continue to address these issues.” This was stated by Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, in an interview with Izvestia.
He noted that the Red Cross has direct access to the detainees.
“The Azerbaijani government has informed us that there have been disagreements with the Armenian side regarding the status (of the detainees). Baku and Yerevan must resolve this issue among themselves. We can share our experience, we can offer advice, but the respective governments must decide and ultimately assess the status themselves. We are in contact with both sides. And I hope that in the future it will be possible to find a solution to the problem regarding all detainees held in Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Maurer noted, responding to a question about the status of those captured as intruders.
Responding to a question about the conditions in which detained persons are held in Azerbaijan, the ICRC stated that it does not give a public assessment on the matter:
