Azerbaijani families of Karabakh missing persons seek justice at UN Office in Geneva Their Stories, Still Unheard

A new campaign will spotlight Azerbaijani families in Geneva, giving them a platform to share their stories about loved ones who went missing during the Karabakh conflict and to raise global awareness of their struggle.

 “Missing Families of Karabakh” Public Union has launched a project entitled the “Unheard Voice of Families of the Missing,” aimed at raising awareness globally about Azerbaijan’s ongoing efforts to uncover the fate of thousands who disappeared during the conflict with Armenia, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The initiative, financially supported by the Azerbaijani Agency for State Support to NGOs, includes a peaceful demonstration in front of the United Nations office in Geneva.

Relatives of seven individuals who went missing as a result of Armenia’s military actions against Azerbaijan will take part in the protest.

“We will call on the United Nations to pressure Armenia to provide information about the fate and burial sites of missing Azerbaijanis,” the association said in a statement. “Our goal is to ensure that the truth about Azerbaijan is heard worldwide and that the UN is made fully aware of the ongoing issue of missing persons.”

According to official figures from Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, a total of 3,990 people remain unaccounted for as of June 1, 2025.

Of those, 3,984 went missing during the first Karabakh war in the early 1990s, while six disappeared during the 44-day conflict in 2020. Among the missing are 3,211 military personnel and 779 civilians, including 71 children, 284 women, and 316 elderly individuals.

Azerbaijani officials and families continue to call for accountability and transparency, urging the international community to support efforts to uncover the truth about those who remain missing decades after the conflict.

By Aghakazim Guliyev