Ali Hasanov, deputy prime minister and head of the state refugee committee, has urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to beef up efforts to secure the return of three Azeri nationals held in Armenian captivity.

Two of the Azeris, Dilqam Asgarov and Sahbaz Quliyev, were captured alive and the third one, Hasan Hasanov, was killed by separatist forces in Azerbaijan’s rebel region of Nagorno-Karabakh earlier this month.

They were travelling to their native district of Kalbacar, which is under Armenian occupation.

Ali Hasanov, meeting ICRC representatives in Baku today, said the return of the dead body should be a priority. 

Armenians had earlier said they buried Hasan Hasanov.

The deputy prime minister said Azeri President Ilham Aliyev is closely watching efforts to secure the return of the captives.

Bakudaily.az