Following the liberation of Karabakh from occupation, excavation and search efforts in the region are continuing to determine the fate of Azerbaijani citizens who went missing during the First and Second Karabakh wars.
According to data from Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, a total of 4,010 Azerbaijani citizens were registered as missing during the two wars. Of those, 4,004 went missing during the First Karabakh War and 6 during the Second Karabakh War.
Missing persons include 3,222 military personnel
Military personnel account for 3,222 of the registered missing persons. The missing civilians include 71 children, 288 women and 319 elderly people.
Search, excavation and identification efforts are helping uncover traces of people whose families have not heard from them for years.
Thirty-two mass graves found in liberated regions
Thirty-two mass graves have been identified in the liberated regions to date. Excavations at these sites have uncovered human remains belonging to 913 people.
Forensic examinations and DNA analyses are being conducted on the remains to establish their identities. The examinations found that the Azerbaijanis who were killed had been subjected to torture.
Identities of 328 people established
The identities of 328 people were established as a result of forensic and DNA examinations. The remains of 273 of those identified were handed over to their families and buried.
These efforts have enabled some families to learn the fate of relatives from whom they had not heard for years and to receive their remains. According to official records, the fate of 3,682 Azerbaijani citizens has yet to be determined.
Aliyev says missing citizens have not been forgotten
Azerbaijan’s relevant state institutions continue their work in the liberated regions to find missing persons and establish their identities. The remains recovered from the field are taken into the identification process after forensic and DNA examinations.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that concealing prisoners of war and hostages, killing them through torture and covering up the crimes constituted grave violations of international law. Aliyev said these actions must be assessed under the law.
Aliyev also said that missing citizens had not been forgotten and that determining their fate remained a matter of constant state attention. He described providing families with comprehensive support and attention as a moral obligation.
