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ISSUE OF MISSING PERSONS NOT POLITICAL BUT HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM - HEAD OF YEREVAN ICRC DELEGATION
news.am
June 22 2011
Armenia
Interview of Lorenzo Caraffi, head of Yerevan Delegation of the
International Committee of the Red Cross to the Armenian News-NEWS.am
agency.
Could you please elaborate on the current programs, cooperation with
the Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS), dissemination of knowledge on
the International Humanitarian Law (IHL)?
ICRC has been active in Armenia since 1992. According to the mandate,
along with other issues, we deal with the dissemination of IHL and
its implementation. In terms of implementation, importance is given to
the process of drafting a national law on missing persons, where the
ICRC supports the authorities. One of the elements of the cooperation
with the Armed Forces also includes raising awareness of IHL. Another
important point is that ICRC works to create an environment conducive
to the respect of IHL.
Concerning the cooperation with the ARCS, the two organizations work
with the families of missing persons, providing them with psychosocial
support. We also assist relevant services of the ARCS, particularly in
dissemination of International Humanitarian principles and cooperate
in restoring family links. Until the end of last year, we have been
cooperating in a very important field - collecting data on the missing
persons. Jointly with the ARCS, six First Aid courses have been
organized in borderline regions of Tavoush, Gegharkunik and Syunik.
Do you carry out other programmes for borderline areas?
Yes, in relation to the families of the missing. Since the beginning
of this year, we have been working in two regions mentioned above to
help families of missing persons, to be closer to these people. We are
trying to provide them with psychological and psychosocial support,
the importance of which, in my opinion, is underestimated. Besides,
a study was carried out, which proved that families of the missing
are less protected in terms of social protection than the others. In
this regard, we started a program aimed at assisting the families of
the missing by providing a certain number of cattle and micro credits.
These programs are implemented together with local partners.
Concerning the list of missing persons, how many names are in the list,
and how complete is it?
There are 407 names of persons from Armenia, 449 names from NK and 3710
from Azerbaijan in the list. The staff of our delegations in Armenia,
Azerbaijan and the mission in Nagorno-Karabakh NK carries out relevant
activities. It is very important to underline the following aspect-
the list is not complete. It contains names of missing persons whose
family members applied to ICRC. In case new families will apply to the
ICRC, tracing request will be opened and the names of their missing
relatives will be included into the list.
At what stage is the project on collection of detailed data on
missing persons?
In the frame of this project, detailed data on 323 missing persons has
been collected. This is less than the total number of missing persons,
because not all the families agreed to provide information. It is
anticipated, that the collected information will help in future to
carry out exhumations for clarifying the fate of these persons.
Similar projects are being implemented in Azerbaijan and
Nagorno-Karabakh. The idea behind this project is the creation of
a single database on missing persons. In case some steps are taken
in future, such as exhumation and identification, the database will
serve as the main source of reference. Technically, when we talk
about information, we mean ante-mortem data on missing persons. It
includes different type of information, such as dental history,
physical characteristics, or circumstances of disappearance. Similar
activities are implemented in Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The collected data is translated into Russian for making it available
to all the three parties. At some stage, in order to complete the
picture, the three databases will be merged into single database, and,
as soon as conditions allow to work, in particular to do exhumations,
these data could be used. All this, however, depends on the political
will of the authorities. The position of the ICRC is that the issue
of missing persons is not a political but exclusively humanitarian
problem, addressing which would alleviate the human suffering.
Repatriate Arthur Badalyan, who has been in captivity in Azerbaijan
for about two years, is currently preparing a claim to the European
Court for Human Rights, accusing the Azerbaijani authorities for
applying violence to and torturing him while in captivity. Where
there any kind of violations observed by the ICRC delegates?
We were aware about Armenian citizen, Arthur Badalyan who went
missing on 9 May 2009, as his family applied to us. There are certain
provisions in the Geneva Conventions about notifying prisoners of war
or civilian internees. On the other hand, a dialogue between the ICRC
and the authorities regarding this issue is confidential. The ICRC
delegates have visited Badalyan in captivity. Under this context,
let me remind that the ICRC is a neutral organisation, and in a
highly polarized situation between the sides, neutrality is becoming
a priority. This brings us back to the issue of confidentiality. The
conditions of detention are discussed with the detaining authorities,
and it is the neutrality of the ICRC enables the organisation to
facilitate repatriation operations.
Does the ICRC dispose of instruments to prevent torture and
inhuman treatment as well as mechanisms to influence in case its
recommendations are not followed?
It is difficult to answer such a general question. The work of the
ICRC has a positive impact on the captives, although not always we
manage to reach the desired. Nevertheless, I would like to quote
the words of Nelson Mandela that he said during the visits by the
ICRC delegates: "What matters is not only the good the ICRC brings,
but the evil it prevents.
How many times have the ICRC delegates visited the prisoners of war
in Armenia and in Azerbaijan?
Since the beginning of the year, the Armenian prisoners of war kept in
Azerbaijan have been visited five times, the Armenian civilian family
of five persons - four times. We visited the Azerbaijani prisoner of
war in Armenia for four times.
How would you estimate the cooperation between the delegation and
the Armenian authorities?
The cooperation with the Armenian authorities has been definitely
on a good level since the beginning of our activities here. I highly
appreciate the efforts of the authorities, especially the MFA, that
they make for drafting the law of missing persons. In addition,
the productive dialogue with the Ministry of Defence is very much
appreciated; I think that good cooperation increases the mutual trust.
And I would like to underline again that the issue of missing persons
is exclusively humanitarian problem. The ICRC, in its turn, as an
independent humanitarian organisation, pays great attention to the
block of issues for improving the conditions of the families of
missing persons. These issues should be the authorities concern.
news.am
June 22 2011
Armenia
Interview of Lorenzo Caraffi, head of Yerevan Delegation of the
International Committee of the Red Cross to the Armenian News-NEWS.am
agency.
Could you please elaborate on the current programs, cooperation with
the Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS), dissemination of knowledge on
the International Humanitarian Law (IHL)?
ICRC has been active in Armenia since 1992. According to the mandate,
along with other issues, we deal with the dissemination of IHL and
its implementation. In terms of implementation, importance is given to
the process of drafting a national law on missing persons, where the
ICRC supports the authorities. One of the elements of the cooperation
with the Armed Forces also includes raising awareness of IHL. Another
important point is that ICRC works to create an environment conducive
to the respect of IHL.
Concerning the cooperation with the ARCS, the two organizations work
with the families of missing persons, providing them with psychosocial
support. We also assist relevant services of the ARCS, particularly in
dissemination of International Humanitarian principles and cooperate
in restoring family links. Until the end of last year, we have been
cooperating in a very important field - collecting data on the missing
persons. Jointly with the ARCS, six First Aid courses have been
organized in borderline regions of Tavoush, Gegharkunik and Syunik.
Do you carry out other programmes for borderline areas?
Yes, in relation to the families of the missing. Since the beginning
of this year, we have been working in two regions mentioned above to
help families of missing persons, to be closer to these people. We are
trying to provide them with psychological and psychosocial support,
the importance of which, in my opinion, is underestimated. Besides,
a study was carried out, which proved that families of the missing
are less protected in terms of social protection than the others. In
this regard, we started a program aimed at assisting the families of
the missing by providing a certain number of cattle and micro credits.
These programs are implemented together with local partners.
Concerning the list of missing persons, how many names are in the list,
and how complete is it?
There are 407 names of persons from Armenia, 449 names from NK and 3710
from Azerbaijan in the list. The staff of our delegations in Armenia,
Azerbaijan and the mission in Nagorno-Karabakh NK carries out relevant
activities. It is very important to underline the following aspect-
the list is not complete. It contains names of missing persons whose
family members applied to ICRC. In case new families will apply to the
ICRC, tracing request will be opened and the names of their missing
relatives will be included into the list.
At what stage is the project on collection of detailed data on
missing persons?
In the frame of this project, detailed data on 323 missing persons has
been collected. This is less than the total number of missing persons,
because not all the families agreed to provide information. It is
anticipated, that the collected information will help in future to
carry out exhumations for clarifying the fate of these persons.
Similar projects are being implemented in Azerbaijan and
Nagorno-Karabakh. The idea behind this project is the creation of
a single database on missing persons. In case some steps are taken
in future, such as exhumation and identification, the database will
serve as the main source of reference. Technically, when we talk
about information, we mean ante-mortem data on missing persons. It
includes different type of information, such as dental history,
physical characteristics, or circumstances of disappearance. Similar
activities are implemented in Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The collected data is translated into Russian for making it available
to all the three parties. At some stage, in order to complete the
picture, the three databases will be merged into single database, and,
as soon as conditions allow to work, in particular to do exhumations,
these data could be used. All this, however, depends on the political
will of the authorities. The position of the ICRC is that the issue
of missing persons is not a political but exclusively humanitarian
problem, addressing which would alleviate the human suffering.
Repatriate Arthur Badalyan, who has been in captivity in Azerbaijan
for about two years, is currently preparing a claim to the European
Court for Human Rights, accusing the Azerbaijani authorities for
applying violence to and torturing him while in captivity. Where
there any kind of violations observed by the ICRC delegates?
We were aware about Armenian citizen, Arthur Badalyan who went
missing on 9 May 2009, as his family applied to us. There are certain
provisions in the Geneva Conventions about notifying prisoners of war
or civilian internees. On the other hand, a dialogue between the ICRC
and the authorities regarding this issue is confidential. The ICRC
delegates have visited Badalyan in captivity. Under this context,
let me remind that the ICRC is a neutral organisation, and in a
highly polarized situation between the sides, neutrality is becoming
a priority. This brings us back to the issue of confidentiality. The
conditions of detention are discussed with the detaining authorities,
and it is the neutrality of the ICRC enables the organisation to
facilitate repatriation operations.
Does the ICRC dispose of instruments to prevent torture and
inhuman treatment as well as mechanisms to influence in case its
recommendations are not followed?
It is difficult to answer such a general question. The work of the
ICRC has a positive impact on the captives, although not always we
manage to reach the desired. Nevertheless, I would like to quote
the words of Nelson Mandela that he said during the visits by the
ICRC delegates: "What matters is not only the good the ICRC brings,
but the evil it prevents.
How many times have the ICRC delegates visited the prisoners of war
in Armenia and in Azerbaijan?
Since the beginning of the year, the Armenian prisoners of war kept in
Azerbaijan have been visited five times, the Armenian civilian family
of five persons - four times. We visited the Azerbaijani prisoner of
war in Armenia for four times.
How would you estimate the cooperation between the delegation and
the Armenian authorities?
The cooperation with the Armenian authorities has been definitely
on a good level since the beginning of our activities here. I highly
appreciate the efforts of the authorities, especially the MFA, that
they make for drafting the law of missing persons. In addition,
the productive dialogue with the Ministry of Defence is very much
appreciated; I think that good cooperation increases the mutual trust.
And I would like to underline again that the issue of missing persons
is exclusively humanitarian problem. The ICRC, in its turn, as an
independent humanitarian organisation, pays great attention to the
block of issues for improving the conditions of the families of
missing persons. These issues should be the authorities concern.