On February 6, 2008, at 14.40 p.m., through the intermediary of the Stepanakert office of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), the repatriation of the corpse of NKR citizen Bad Tadevosyan, killed on January 26, took place near Bash Qarvend village in the Aghdam direction of the line of contact of the Azerbaijani and NKR Armed forces.

Despite the fact that Bad Tadevosyan’s corpse had been in Azerbaijani territory for more than ten days, it was only on February 5 that the Azerbaijani side informed the ICRC of its readiness to return the corpse.

Meanwhile, it should be mentioned that in similar cases the Karabakhi side always informs the local offices of the ICRC and the OSCE immediately. For instance, the NKR authorities, strictly following the principles of the Geneva conventions, had immediately returned the corpse of the Azerbaijani soldier, killed as a result of the recent similar incident in the south-eastern direction of the line of contact of the NKR and Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

The NKR State Commission on Prisoners of War, the Missing and Hostages, once again draws attention to the fact that Bad Tadevosyan was a civilian and not a serviceman, as Azerbaijani propaganda tried to represent him. Before his death he was in civilian clothes - in a shirt and jeans; a fact that Azerbaijani TV also broadcast early on. However, afterwards the corpse unexpectedly appeared in a military uniform, and with the differential signs of the Azerbaijani Army. Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani mass media turned this process into a political show. Moreover, evidence that the body was violated are also apparent.

Sharply criticizing similar actions, the NKR State Commission appeals to the Azerbaijani authorities to follow the principles of the Geneva conventions and not to politicize humanitarian issues.