The discovery of mass graves in the territories liberated from occupation once again confirms that Azerbaijanis taken prisoner and hostages during the 1st Karabakh war were tortured, brutally killed and inhumanly buried contrary to the norms of international humanitarian law, Ombudsperson Sabina Aliyeva said at a conference in Guba on the Legal Aspects of Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes of Genocide: in the Context of Historical Facts, timed to coincide with March 31 - Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis.
She noted that the policy of ethnic cleansing, genocide and terror against Azerbaijan, carried out for a long time on the basis of national hatred, continued in subsequent years: "Our numerous compatriots became victims of the war crimes of Armenia, were brutally killed or received various serious injuries that led to disability, were captured and taken hostages or went missing. On the other hand, Armenia, using various pretexts, does not provide information about the fate of missing persons, the location of mass graves and accurate maps of minefields."
The Ombudsperson stressed that the existing mine problem seriously impedes construction and restoration work in the liberated territories and hinders the safe return of Azerbaijanis expelled from their native lands.