Deputy minister: Azerbaijan returned nearly 2,000 human remains to Armenia In a step toward reconciliation

Azerbaijan, a nation grappling with the issue of missing persons for over 30 years, recognizes the significance of matters that foster lasting peace, according to Fariz Rzayev, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan. 

He made this statement during a panel discussion titled “The Problem of Missing Persons in the Processes of Trust, Reconciliation, and Peacebuilding,” Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Rzayev emphasized that international resolutions highlight the importance of addressing the issue of missing persons as integral to peace and reconciliation efforts. “It is crucial to incorporate humanitarian elements into peace negotiations. Following the Patriotic War, 18 mass graves were discovered in the territories liberated by Azerbaijan, where remains were buried under inhumane conditions, a fact that has been substantiated. In recent years, the Azerbaijani government has actively worked to determine the fates of the missing. The unknown status of these individuals poses a significant barrier to reconciliation and enduring peace. Our approach to regional peace has never been driven by a desire for vengeance. Despite the severe risks posed by landmines, Azerbaijan has successfully returned the remains of about 2,000 individuals to Armenia.”

The Deputy Minister urged Armenia to disclose all burial sites.

Post-war investigations in the liberated regions have uncovered numerous mass and individual graves of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly, Khojavand, Kalbajar, Aghdam, and Fuzuli, as well as around the city of Shusha.

Since 2020, at least 500 human remains have been found in the territory of Shusha prison and Dashalti village, Sarijali village of Aghdam district, Edilli village of Khojavend district, Farrukh village of Khojaly district, Yukhari Seyidahmadli village of Fuzuli district and Bashlibel village of Kalbajar district.

Historians and analysts in Baku believe that additional mass graves of Azerbaijanis, killed by Armenian forces, may still be uncovered in various locations within the liberated territories.

The recent discoveries of numerous mass graves of Azerbaijani victims in areas liberated from Armenian occupation in 2020 serve as compelling evidence of the genocide and military crimes perpetrated by Armenian forces during the First Karabakh War.

By Tamilla Hasanova