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AzerNEWS Staff

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Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev has shared a message marking August 30, the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

He made the remarks in a post on his X account:

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev has shared a message marking August 30, the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

"For Azerbaijan, the fate of missing persons remains a matter of profound humanitarian and national importance. 4,010 Azerbaijani citizens remain registered as missing as a result of the former Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

The issue remains under the close and constant attention of H.E. President Ilham Aliyev. In line with the responsibilities set by the Head of State, the State Commission continues its systematic efforts to locate, recover and identify missing Azerbaijani citizens and return their remains to their families after decades of uncertainty.

Witness testimonies are being verified, suspected burial sites investigated, mass graves excavated, and recovered remains examined through forensic and DNA analysis. To date, 32 mass graves have been discovered, and 328 missing persons have been identified through DNA analysis.

In this regard, the provision by Armenia of accurate and comprehensive information on the fate of missing Azerbaijanis, including the locations of burial sites, remains essential. Such cooperation is first and foremost a humanitarian obligation and is indispensable to bringing an end to the decades-long uncertainty endured by thousands of families.

Despite difficult terrain and weather conditions, as well as the dangers posed by mines and unexploded ordnance, search operations continue with all available resources and advanced technologies. Every family has the right to know the fate of their loved ones. Every missing person has a name. Every family deserves an answer."