SAEDNEWS: Iranian Brigadier General Seyyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to follow up on the situation of three Iranian pilots who Tehran says were captured alive by Qatari forces after a fighter jet incident.
According to SaedNews:
Brigadier General Seyyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh has sent a letter to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Maryana Spoljaric, requesting follow-up on the condition of Iranian pilots allegedly held in Qatar.
In the letter, Bagherzadeh said that after what he described as attacks by the United States military and Israel against Iran on 28 February 2026, launched from air bases located in Arab countries along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, Iran’s Air Force responded based on the principle of defending the country’s territorial integrity.
He stated that on 2 March 2026, two Su-24 fighter jets traveled toward an enemy military base in Qatar for a combat mission. According to the letter, despite initial success in carrying out their mission, the pilots ejected after the aircraft were hit by enemy air defenses during their return.
The letter said one of the four pilots involved was killed, identifying him as pilot Majid Kazemi. It added that his body was recovered and buried.
According to information cited by Bagherzadeh, the three other pilots — Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Baroushian — were captured alive by Qatari forces.
The letter claimed that despite six months passing since the incident, Qatar has failed to respect the rights of the prisoners under international laws and the four Geneva Conventions regarding the treatment of prisoners of war. It also alleged that diplomatic efforts and follow-ups have not resulted in permission for visits, interviews, or communication between the prisoners and their families or officials responsible for the case.
Bagherzadeh referred to Articles 70 and 78 of the Third Geneva Convention, stating that prisoners must be able to inform their families and the central office of the International Committee of the Red Cross about their captivity, and that they have the right to submit complaints and requests to representatives of protecting powers, including Red Cross representatives visiting detention camps.
The letter also stated that prisoners of war suffering from serious illness or injuries, based on medical assessments, should be transferred directly to their home country.
The Missing Persons Search Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff expressed serious concern over the situation of the detained pilots and requested that the International Committee of the Red Cross, within its humanitarian mission and bilateral cooperation efforts, quickly interview the Iranian pilots in Qatar, provide Iran with information about their health conditions, and help prepare conditions for their immediate release.
The letter was signed by Brigadier General Seyyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the Missing Persons Search Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff.
