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AzerNEWS Staff

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Armenia has approached a third, neutral country with a request to organise consular visits to Armenian nationals held in prisons in Baku.

According to Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, the country it approached has not been identified. However, Azerbaijan’s consent is required for such a visit to take place.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said that it is also continuing discussions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the possible resumption of visits to Armenians held in Baku.

The ministry said its representatives regularly meet with ICRC officials and discuss the possibility of visiting the detainees.

According to the ICRC, however, its ability to visit detainees in any country depends on the consent of the relevant national authorities. The organisation has said that its most recent visit to conflict-related detainees in Azerbaijan was carried out in December 2025 by a delegation from Geneva.

The ICRC suspended its physical operations in Azerbaijan in September 2025, although it said dialogue with the Azerbaijani authorities on the possible format of its future activities was continuing.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly stressed the importance of resolving humanitarian issues, including matters concerning detainees and missing persons, within the framework of international humanitarian law. In May 2026, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said during a meeting with ICRC leadership that maintaining long-term, trust-based cooperation between Baku and the organisation was important.

Against this backdrop, Armenia’s decision to approach a third country highlights that any consular or humanitarian visit to detainees in Azerbaijan ultimately requires the consent of the Azerbaijani authorities.