NK asks for ICRC's help in evacuating downed helicopter crew from Azerbaijan

Today, the State Commission of Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) on war prisoners, hostages and missing persons has appealed to the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Nagorno-Karabakh asking for help in establishing the whereabouts of the crew of the helicopter that was shot down by Azerbaijanis, and in the return of the pilots.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the afternoon on November 12, in the area of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a military helicopter was shot down. The death of three members of the crew was reported.

So far, Nagorno-Karabakh has not confirmed the death of the crew. The Azerbaijani party keeps the helicopter crash site under fire, without giving a chance to clarify the fate of the three crew members – Sergey Sahakyan, Sargis Nazaryan and Azat Sahakyan, the above State Commission of Nagorno-Karabakh has reported today. Therefore, the Commission has addressed the ICRC for help.

"Under the norms of the international humanitarian law, at all times, the parties in conflict, when circumstances allow, shall take all the appropriate measures without delay to search for and collect the wounded persons and remains of the dead. The ICRC, as a neutral mediator, can get access to the crash site of the helicopter to clarify the fate of the crew. Currently, the ICRC maintains a dialogue with the relevant authorities on this issue," Etery Musaelyan, a staff member of the ICRC, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.