Azerbaijan urges justice for 4,000 missing persons from 1990s war at UN

Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Tofig Musayev, has called on the international community to support efforts to determine the fate of nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis who went missing during the conflict of the early 1990s.

Speaking during the general debate of the Third Committee of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, the ambassador said: “Since the early 1990s, approximately 3,990 Azerbaijanis have been reported missing in connection with the conflict. Following the liberation of the occupied territories, 28 mass graves and other burial sites were discovered, containing the remains of 187 individuals. These findings indicate the deliberate killing of civilians and persons protected under international humanitarian law.”

Ambassador Musayev outlined Azerbaijan’s national efforts to promote and protect human rights and its ongoing cooperation with UN mechanisms in this area. He also highlighted the government’s large-scale post-conflict restoration and reconstruction projects in the liberated territories.

“Over the past five years, Azerbaijan has implemented large-scale restoration and revival projects in the liberated areas. Cities, towns, and villages are being rebuilt, and conditions are being created for the safe and dignified return of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons to their native lands. To date, over 50,000 people have already returned to their homes,” he said.

The diplomat further underlined the country’s socio-economic priorities, noting that they are guided by President Ilham Aliyev’s long-term development vision. “The priorities approved by President Ilham Aliyev as part of the Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development policy include a competitive economy, a dynamic and inclusive society based on the principles of social justice, human capital development, the implementation of the Great Return program, and the creation of a clean environment and green growth,” Musayev said.

Addressing the landmine threat in the formerly occupied territories, the ambassador stressed that it remains one of the most serious humanitarian challenges facing Azerbaijan. “Since the beginning of the post-conflict period, the number of mine casualties has reached 409, of whom 71 have died and 338 have been seriously injured, the majority of them civilians,” he said, adding that the issue “requires not only increased national capacity for humanitarian demining but also enhanced international solidarity and support.”

Musayev also reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to investigating wartime atrocities in line with international standards. “Individuals accused of serious crimes are provided with legal assistance, are in contact with their families, and receive regular visits from the Ombudsman. Competent international mechanisms have rejected allegations of their allegedly unlawful deprivation of liberty,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, the ambassador stated that Azerbaijan remains committed to justice, international law, and lasting peace. He emphasised that the country will continue to promote sustainable development and human rights in its liberated territories.

By Vugar Khalilov