Azernews.Az

An Azerbaijani soldier detained in the Armenian capital Yerevan was repatriated Wednesday to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The operation took place on the road between the Armenian town of Eraskhavan and the Azerbaijani town of Sadarak, according to the ICRC.
"Acting as a neutral intermediary and in accordance with our mandate, we facilitated the serviceman's repatriation at the request of both the Armenian and the Azerbaijani authorities," announced Nadya Kebir Raoloson, head of the ICRC in Armenia. "Before the operation took place, the detainee had confirmed to ICRC delegates that he was returning of his own free will."
ICRC delegates had visited the soldier on several occasions prior to his repatriation to assess his treatment and conditions of detention. The organization had also made it possible for him and his relatives in Azerbaijan to exchange family news throughout his detention.
Rafig Hasanov, 21, was captured by Armenian armed forces in October 2008 on the contact line of the two countries’ troops in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district.
On April 3, the ICRC also facilitated the repatriation of the bodies of two Azerbaijani civilians caught along the frontline. The bodies were repatriated from Armenia to Nakhchivan.
Currently, Armenia holds another military man captive and one Azerbaijani civilian is held hostage.
Working under the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC has been operating in Armenia and Azerbaijan since 1992 in connection with the Upper Garabagh conflict.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict over the mountainous region for two decades. OSCE-brokered peace talks kicked off after a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a shaky cease-fire in 1994. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law.*