Almost 200 reported missing from Khojaly, more still unknown
Over 190 residents of the Azerbaijani town of
Khojaly, which faced a massacre committed by Armenian armed forces
in 1992, are reported by Azerbaijan’s government as missing.
Firudin Sadygov, the head of a relevant taskforce at the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, told the press that this figure is not final, either.
"This does not mean that the number of those missing from Khojaly is 190. Groups of Armenian thugs murdered a huge number of people while invading the town. Such conditions have emerged that the missing persons do not even have relatives or acquaintances left so that they would report they are missing."
So far, 150 people have been cited as missing in the Khojaly massacre.
Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a war in the early 1990s. On February 25-26, 1992, Armenian forces attacked unarmed civilians in Khojaly with the support of Russian troops. 613 people were brutally killed, while 1,275 taken captive, and 487 became handicapped. Overall, the war claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced about one million Azerbaijanis. Armenia has been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory since then. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but peace talks have been largely fruitless so far.
Sadygov said, further, that a total of 4,133 prisoners and hostages are currently held in Armenia. Three of them – two military men and a civilian – were captured in the post-ceasefire period.
"All the necessary measures are being taken to free those people. We are availing of all means at our disposal, including the assistance of international organizations," Sadygov said.
He disagreed with media reports saying that Azerbaijani POWs are facing torture in Armenian captivity.
"Those persons are overseen by international organizations. They call on them once in a while to enquire about the conditions of detention and report their findings to us. I do not presume there could be instances of any of those people being subjected to torture or held in poor conditions, because the direct objective of international organizations is improving the conditions of their detention."
Sadygov said most of the media reports claiming Azerbaijani POWs and hostages are unwilling to return home have no merit. "It is impossible to say that until one has met those people and heard them out."
Regarding the possibility of transferring six Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan to third countries, Sadygov said the process is being carried out in compliance with international law, adding that it is not divulged to the press to which country they are seeking to be transferred.
The Armenian soldiers explain their drifting to the Azerbaijani side by their army’s being in a deplorable condition and say they could not even find food to eat.*
Firudin Sadygov, the head of a relevant taskforce at the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, told the press that this figure is not final, either.
"This does not mean that the number of those missing from Khojaly is 190. Groups of Armenian thugs murdered a huge number of people while invading the town. Such conditions have emerged that the missing persons do not even have relatives or acquaintances left so that they would report they are missing."
So far, 150 people have been cited as missing in the Khojaly massacre.
Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a war in the early 1990s. On February 25-26, 1992, Armenian forces attacked unarmed civilians in Khojaly with the support of Russian troops. 613 people were brutally killed, while 1,275 taken captive, and 487 became handicapped. Overall, the war claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced about one million Azerbaijanis. Armenia has been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory since then. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but peace talks have been largely fruitless so far.
Sadygov said, further, that a total of 4,133 prisoners and hostages are currently held in Armenia. Three of them – two military men and a civilian – were captured in the post-ceasefire period.
"All the necessary measures are being taken to free those people. We are availing of all means at our disposal, including the assistance of international organizations," Sadygov said.
He disagreed with media reports saying that Azerbaijani POWs are facing torture in Armenian captivity.
"Those persons are overseen by international organizations. They call on them once in a while to enquire about the conditions of detention and report their findings to us. I do not presume there could be instances of any of those people being subjected to torture or held in poor conditions, because the direct objective of international organizations is improving the conditions of their detention."
Sadygov said most of the media reports claiming Azerbaijani POWs and hostages are unwilling to return home have no merit. "It is impossible to say that until one has met those people and heard them out."
Regarding the possibility of transferring six Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan to third countries, Sadygov said the process is being carried out in compliance with international law, adding that it is not divulged to the press to which country they are seeking to be transferred.
The Armenian soldiers explain their drifting to the Azerbaijani side by their army’s being in a deplorable condition and say they could not even find food to eat.*
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