Mass graves in liberated Azerbaijani territories reach 28, searches continue

Azerbaijani authorities have confirmed that 28 mass graves have been discovered in territories recently liberated during military operations. Excavations and exhumations have been carried out at these sites to recover human remains.

Eldar Samadov, deputy head of the Working Group of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Missing Persons, and Hostages, told local media that a total of 218 bodies have been recovered so far.

“As a result of anatomical and molecular genetic examinations, the identities of 60 of them were established, and their remains were handed over to their families,” Samadov said.

The discoveries form part of a broader investigation into the humanitarian consequences of Armenia’s aggression. Since the conflict, 3,990 Azerbaijani citizens have gone missing, including six during the 44-day war in 2020. Among the missing are 71 children, 284 women, and 316 elderly people.

Since the 2020 war, numerous human remains have been uncovered across Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, particularly in areas liberated during the conflict. Over 600 bodies—many from the First Karabakh War (1988–1994)—have been exhumed from mass graves and individual burial sites in districts including Aghdam, Khojaly, Shusha, and Khojavand.

Investigations of these graves have frequently revealed evidence of torture and other war crimes. Azerbaijani authorities, supported by international partners, are conducting comprehensive forensic and genetic analyses to identify the remains and provide closure to families of missing persons.

By Tamilla Hasanova