Presidential aide: Time for Armenia to apologize to Azerbaijan Urges full disclosure of mass grave sites

In observance of the International Day of the Disappeared, marked on August 30 by United Nations regulations, Hikmet Hajiyev, Azerbaijani Presidential aide and head of the department for foreign policy within the Presidential Administration, has publicly criticized Armenia for its failure to disclose information about mass grave sites.

"Determining the fate of up to 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens who have gone missing as a result of Armenia’s 30-yearlong aggression against Azerbaijan, is one of the most serious humanitarian problems that concern not only their beloved ones, but the Azerbaijani Government. Armenia evades from providing information about their whereabouts and the location of mass graves, once again demonstrating its inhuman nature," Hajiyev wrote on his X account, as per Caliber.Az.

His report highlights evidence from numerous witnesses and the discovery of mass graves in territories liberated from occupation, which reveal that Azerbaijani captives were subjected to severe torture and slaughter by Armenian forces.

Hikmet Hajiyev underscored that those responsible for these crimes against humanity have not only escaped punishment but are often celebrated in Armenia. 

He stated, "But justice has prevailed! Today, most of those criminals are held accountable in Azerbaijan. Armenian lobby-paid and morally bankrupt Western politicians and media institutions who call for the release of these war criminals at least should be ashamed. Armenia also should feel ashamed of its barbaric actions, apologize to Azerbaijan, hold other offenders accountable and report the exact location of mass graves, including the remains of Azerbaijan’s National Hero Natig Gasimov."

Hikmet Hajiyev noted that the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from occupation gave a big impetus to the process of finding out the fate of the missing:

"Upon the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons of the Republic of Azerbaijan and relevant Government institutions based on the DNT analyses of discovered human remains, have identified 151 people so far who went missing since the first Karabakh War. Finding them after 30 years and burying with military funeral honors, once again shows how the President of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani state values and takes care of its citizens," the message says.

Hikmet Hajiyev also emphasized that Azerbaijan finds the efforts of institutions like the International Committee of the Red Cross, tasked with determining the fate of missing persons under international humanitarian law, to be unsatisfactory.

"Instead of that ICRC contrary to its own statue is engaged behind the scene leak of false information and 'background information' to so-called reports of dubious western politicians who are in the pay roll of Armenian government and Armenian lobby. Azerbaijan will continue to spare no effort to determine the fate of the missing persons, and will put an end to the longing and suffering of their families," Hajiyev wrote.

In accordance with the relevant United Nations General Assembly Resolution the 30th of August is observed as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
 
Determining the fate of up to 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens who have gone
missing as a result of Armenia’s… pic.twitter.com/JHtVA5PWcj

— Hikmet Hajiyev (@HikmetHajiyev) August 30, 2024