Azerbaijani envoy speaks at UNGA discussions on missing persons

Azerbaijan's Permanent Representative to the UN Tofig Musayev spoke at the General Assembly's discussions on missing persons, Report informs.

The ambassador said that Azerbaijan is proud to be the author and initiator of the biennial resolution on Missing Persons of the General Assembly, which has been adopted by consensus since 2004 and whose last two resolutions mandated this meeting.

The diplomat noted that since the early 1990s, 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens have gone missing as a result of Armenian aggression and occupation, and their fate still remains unknown.

"This issue requires urgent attention and action. Among the missing are 774 civilians, of whom 116 are women, 315 are elderly, and 75 are children. In many cases, they have disappeared together with family members, leading to the loss of generations. Some of them have even disappeared under unknown circumstances after being visited by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) while in detention," Musayev said.

He also provided information about mass burial sites discovered in the liberated territories:

"The remains of 120 people found in 23 burial sites in the liberated historical lands of Azerbaijan have been identified and returned to their families. Those sites not only shed light on the fate of the missing, but also prove the deliberate killing of civilians and others."

The diplomat added that, in addition to searching for and identifying the missing, Azerbaijan is also taking decisive steps to investigate crimes against humanity committed during the conflict and punish the perpetrators.

"However, many criminals continue to enjoy impunity, finding safe haven in Armenia and other countries. The denial of their crimes and attempts to obstruct justice are a clear disregard for international law and the rule of law," he stressed.

The ambassador emphasized that the rights of victims and their families require that international obligations regarding missing persons be turned into concrete steps, that the principle of zero tolerance for impunity be applied, and that the fate of all missing persons be clarified.