In 2020, longstanding tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding control of the region of Nagorno-Karabakh erupted into fresh armed conflict. Thousands of soldiers were killed, with families on both sides of the border unable to retrieve and bury their relatives’ remains.
On 29 October and 14 November 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged human remains in accordance with mutual agreements. The support and facilitation offered by foreign governments and organizations such as the ICRC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) may have contributed to this demonstration of respect for IHL.
