By Rashid Shirinov

Armenia’s refusal to return the body of the killed Azerbaijani soldier, despite quite clear mechanism and procedures on handover of the bodies, is a flagrant violation of the norms of international humanitarian law, human rights and the Geneva Conventions, which Armenia joined as well.

Lieutenant General Madat Guliyev, the chairman of the Azerbaijani State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing People and head of the State Security Service (SSS), announced about this as he met with Elena Ajmone Sessera, Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation in Azerbaijan.

Guliyev noted that President Ilham Aliyev is closely following the issue of the return of the body of soldier Chingiz Gurbanov, who was killed in an armed clash at the Azerbaijan-Armenia border, and has given necessary instructions in this regard.

Guliyev said the State Commission appreciates the efforts of the ICRC and OSCE Minsk Group on the return of the body.

“Given the fact that Armenia has also previously practiced such inhuman actions as keeping bodies for a long time, the State Commission urges the relevant international organizations to prevent such cases and demands Armenia to comply with the requirements of the Geneva Conventions,” the SSS head said.

Stressing the constructive cooperation between the State Commission and the ICRC, Guliyev expressed hope for further development of this cooperation.

Sessera, for her part, said that the ICRC delegations in Azerbaijan and Armenia continue joint efforts for the soonest return of Gurbanov’s body.

Highlighting the work done jointly by the ICRC Delegation in Azerbaijan and the State Commission’s Working Group in 2016, Sessera gave detailed information about the projects planned for 2017.

Moreover, the parties exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest at the meeting, which was held in the atmosphere of mutual understanding.

A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces attempted to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on December 29, 2016. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders and suffered heavy losses. During the fighting, Azerbaijani serviceman Chingiz Gurbanov went missing. Later, it was clarified that he was killed by the Armenian Armed Forces and his body remained on the territory controlled by the Armenian armed forces.

To receive back the dead body of the Azerbaijani soldier from Armenia, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry officially appealed to the Azerbaijani representation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), OSCE Minsk Group, as well as to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Despite numerous insistent appeals of international structures regarding the return of Chingiz Gurbanov’s body, the Armenian side still keeps the dead body.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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