Repatriating the remains of two Iranian soldiers

Iran / Iraq: ICRC helps repatriate remains of two Iranian soldiers

Tehran/Baghdad (ICRC) – The mortal remains of two Iranian soldiers killed during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War were repatriated yesterday at the Shalamjah border crossing, near Basra, under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The remains, found in Missan province in southern Iraq, were handed over by the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights to the Search and Recovery Committee of the Iranian Armed Forces. ICRC delegates were present on each side of the border as the handover took place.

"The families have suffered for many years from not knowing what happened to their loved ones," said Rania Machlab, the ICRC delegate in charge of the missing persons file in Tehran, who witnessed the handover. "The return of the remains will not relieve the families' pain, but it will put an end to the uncertainty. The handover was made possible thanks to the commitment of the authorities on both sides to fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law and clarify the fate of all those still unaccounted for." Thousands of families are still desperately waiting for the remains of their loved ones to be returned to them.

In 2008, Iran, Iraq and the ICRC signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at determining what befell those who went missing in connection with the war. The ICRC fully supports this process and continues to help local authorities to build up the technical expertise they require to conduct effective forensic investigations.

ENDS