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Qabil Ashirov

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The remains of 16 people were discovered in Karabakh three days ago, Akif Guliyev, head of the Forensic Archaeology Department at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), has said.

Guliyev made the remarks during a panel discussion held as part of the Fourth International Conference of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons on Tuesday.

He said that researchers encounter human remains both in mass graves and at individual locations during their investigations.

One of the major challenges, he noted, is conducting research across areas with diverse and difficult terrain.

“As you know, the territory of Karabakh, particularly the Kalbajar and Lachin areas, is surrounded by rugged mountains. However, the war also took place in these areas. Today, we are practically forced to collect human remains piece by piece from these mountains and steep cliffs,” Guliyev said.

The department head noted that more than 4,000 people remain missing.

He added that, because forensic archaeology was not previously an established specialty in Azerbaijan, the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had provided substantial assistance in developing the field.

According to Guliyev, the ICRC organized training sessions to help prepare specialists. Prominent European scholars with expertise in the field were also invited to Azerbaijan to train local professionals.

The conference is being organized by the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons.

Participants include former heads of state and government, senior representatives of international organizations and foreign countries, heads of institutions dealing with missing persons, experts, representatives of non-governmental organizations, human rights specialists, as well as foreign ambassadors accredited in Azerbaijan, military attachés and other officials.

One of the main focuses of this year’s discussions is building and strengthening trust between the parties.

The conference aims to go beyond discussions and contribute to establishing practical and sustainable mechanisms that strengthen trust and cooperation, help ensure families’ right to know the truth, facilitate information exchange, and expand the use of modern forensic, DNA and technological capabilities.

The event will continue until October 10.