Int'l fund urges ICRC to gain Azerbaijani hostages' speedy release
By Jamila Babayeva
The International Fund for Cooperation and Partnership of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea (BSCSIF) expressed big concern over the fate of Azerbaijanis taken hostage by Armenian military in Kalbajar region.
"The recent developments have negatively affected the process of the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. It also have impeded the restoration of security and stability within the entire Black Sea - Caspian region," BSCSIF's appeal o the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reads.
Three Azerbaijani civilians (reportedly Russian citizen Dilgam Ahmadov and Azerbaijani citizens Shahbaz Guliyev and Hasan Hasanov) were detained by Armenian forces on July 10.
Armenia violated the international legal norms by taking hostage the Azerbaijani civilians as they did not violate any border law between Armenia and Azerbaijan. They were on their own native Kalbajar region which has been under Armenia's occupation since 1993.
Baku warned ICRC about failure to arrange a meeting with the Azerbaijani civilians taken hostages by Armenia in occupied Kalbajar region. ICRC Baku office reported that it is in contact with conflicting sides.
BSCSIF's appeal further reads that by such actions, Armenia is violating international laws and norms.
"Armenia is violating the principles of the Helsinki Final Act. Meanwhile, the 22 year military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan in Karabakh has been violating other international principles and norms including UN Security Council resolutions, especially resolution No. 822. The resolution demands an immediate cessation of all hostilities with a view of establishing a durable cease-fire and immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Kalbajar and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan. BSCSIF blames the indifference of international community, especially the OSCE Minsk Group to this conflict. Everyone is waiting for concrete measures by OSCE Minsk Group," the appeal noted.
BSCSIF urged ICRC to take all necessary measures within its power as soon as possible to ensure normal conditions for the prisoners and arrange a meeting with them to gain their speedy release.
The fund once again emphasized the need for a speedy settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of norms and principles of international law, respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, non-use of force, as well as eliminating violence against civilians.
Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s.
The UN Security Council's four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal have not been enforced to this day.
Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the US and the OSCE Minsk Group are underway on the basis of a peaceful outline -called Madrid Principle -proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs. The negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.