The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has stepped up efforts to determine the whereabouts and condition of three Iranian pilots held in Qatar, urging the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to urgently investigate the case.
In a recent letter to ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric Friday, IRCS president Pirhossein Kolivand called for immediate action to clarify the status, location and health condition of the Iranian nationals being held in Qatar.
Kolivand stressed the humanitarian dimensions of the issue and said it was essential to establish the whereabouts of the individuals, ensure their well-being and verify that they are receiving the protections and guarantees provided under international humanitarian law.
The Iranian Red Crescent said it had previously raised the matter through the ICRC’s delegation in Iran and had requested information about the outcome of the organization’s inquiries and actions.
“Given the humanitarian mandate and responsibilities of the International Committee of the Red Cross, we request that this matter be urgently investigated and pursued through the relevant channels,” Kolivand said in his letter.
Kolivand further said the Iranian Red Crescent was prepared to provide the ICRC with any additional information or documentation required to assist its investigation.
In response, Stephane Bonnamy, head of the ICRC delegation in Iran, said Kolivand’s latest letter had been forwarded to the office of the ICRC president for review and information.
Bonnamy said the ICRC was continuing to actively engage with all relevant parties and institutions as part of its humanitarian mandate and in accordance with the principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality.
He said the organization raises issues concerning the fate and whereabouts of missing people through bilateral and confidential dialogue with parties to the conflict, within the framework of applicable international humanitarian law.
“If relevant information is received from the Qatari authorities, the ICRC will ensure that such information is shared with the relevant authorities for subsequent communication with the families,” Bonnamy said.
The case dates back to March 2, following the start of US and Israeli aggression against Iran in late February.
According to Iranian military officials, two Iranian Army Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jets flew to Qatar that day to carry out a military mission.
The aircrafts were struck by “enemy air defense” systems while returning from the mission, forcing the pilots to eject.
One of the four Iranian pilots, Majid Kazemi, was martyred, while the other three — Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Emran Behrouzian — were captured alive by Qatari forces.
Kazemi’s body was later returned to Iran and buried in the southern city of Shiraz in late July. Qatar initially denied that the pilots had been captured by Qatari forces.
Last month, Brigadier General Seyyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the Missing-in-Action Search Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, said Qatar had agreed to receive a team of Iranian experts to help determine the fate of the pilots.
He also raised concerns about the physical condition of the Iranian pilots and called on the ICRC to send an air ambulance to transfer them to Iran.
