Azerbaijan's obstructing of a visit by the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to Armenian officer Gurgen Alaverdyan is a gross violation of Baku's commitments to the international humanitarian law, Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan said on Thursday, September 17.

Tonoyan was meeting Claire Meytraud, the head of the ICRC Delegation to Armenia in Yerevan.

The Defense Minister weighed in on videos spread by Azerbaijani media about Alaverdyan and expressed the Armenian side's concern over the matter.

At the same time, Tonoyan thanked Meytraud for the ICRC's efforts in protecting the rights of prisoners of war and civilians under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan.

Alaverdyan went missing after he left his post to inspect the checkpoint during bad weather on August 22, according to Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan. The Azerbaijani side reported that the Armenian officer was taken prisoner after a failed sabotage, but Stepanyan has refuted the claims as disinformation.

Armenia's Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said earlier that footage published by Azerbaijani soldiers testify to the gross violations of Alaverdyan's rights.