Iran urges ICRC to pursue case of 3 pilots held in Qatar

In a letter addressed to Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), General Bagherzadeh of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff has urged the organization to pursue the case of three Iranian pilots currently held in Qatar. The letter states that credible information indicates the pilots—identified as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian—were captured alive by Qatari forces after their fighter jets were hit and they were forced to eject.

The pilots were on a combat mission following what the letter describes as "the cowardly attacks by the terrorist army of the United States and the illegitimate and usurping Zionist regime" on Iran on February 28, 2026. These attacks were launched from bases in Arab countries located on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf. According to the letter, one of the four pilots on the mission, which targeted an enemy military base in Qatar, was martyred, while the remaining three stayed in Qatar after ejecting.

The letter accuses the Qatari government of ignoring and violating the inalienable rights of Iranian prisoners over the past six months, contrary to international laws and regulations, including the Geneva Conventions. Despite diplomatic and follow-up efforts, Doha has not allowed the prisoners to meet, interview, or contact their families and authorities, the Iranian commander complained.

Recalling Articles 70 and 78 of the Third Geneva Convention, the letter emphasizes that families of prisoners of war and the ICRC headquarters must be informed about their captivity, and that prisoners of war have the right to submit complaints and requests to representatives—including those of the Red Cross—who visit their camps, or to hold discussions and negotiations.

The Iranian Armed Forces General Staff's committee for missing personnel expressed grave concern about the situation of the captured pilots in Qatar and requested that high-ranking ICRC officials conduct interviews with the pilots at the earliest opportunity, in line with their humanitarian missions and bilateral cooperation, and inform the Islamic Republic of their health status.

According to Mehr News Agency (MNA), the letter urges the ICRC to take the matter into account and to act in accordance with its humanitarian mandate.