On March 10, 2025, the State Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons organized a presentation ceremony for the “Assessment Report on the Search for Missing Persons in the Republic of Azerbaijan” prepared by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).

The event was attended by members of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, employees of its Working Group, high-ranking representatives of the International Commission, members of parliament, heads of relevant state institutions, as well as representatives of NGOs and the media.

It was stated during the event that nearly four thousand of our citizens went missing as a result of Armenian military aggression. The issue of missing persons, which is under the direct supervision of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, has been approached with special sensitivity by the head of state. His important directives in this regard have contributed to accelerating the search process and ensuring the intensive implementation of necessary measures.

In the preceding period, the State Commission has taken relevant steps to clarify the fate of missing persons. The process of collecting biological samples from families has continued, DNA profiles have been extracted, and excavation work carried out in the liberated territories since February 2021 has led to the discovery of 23 mass graves. Human remains belonging to missing compatriots have been identified and recovered from these graves.

It was specifically noted that Armenia refuses to cooperate with Azerbaijan in clarifying the fate of missing persons and avoids providing information about mass grave sites under various pretexts.

During the conflict, Armenia repeatedly violated international legal norms protecting individuals from enforced disappearance. The systematic breaches included the hostage-taking of civilians, inhumane treatment and torture of prisoners of war, deprivation of liberty without trial, extrajudicial executions, and the mass burial of individuals without adherence to burial traditions. Additionally, gravesites were deliberately concealed or destroyed. Given these grave crimes, it is expected that the number of such mass graves will continue to increase.

Subsequently, the Director-General of the International Commission on Missing Persons, Kathryne Bomberger, delivered a speech.

Following that, the presentation of the report prepared by the International Commission on the assessment mission conducted in our country in 2023 took place.

It was noted that the State Commission, striving to utilize all available means to put an end to the 30-year-long wait of the families of the missing, intends to strengthen its cooperation with the International Commission. The International Commission possesses extensive experience in uncovering illegal burial sites worldwide, identifying human remains, clarifying the fate of missing persons, and conducting forensic examinations. It also has a team of professional experts, advanced technical capabilities, and modern methodologies in the relevant field.

In conclusion, deep confidence was expressed that cooperation with the International Commission will yield effective results in clarifying the fate of our missing compatriots.

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