Azernews.Az

AzerNEWS Staff

Read more

A peaceful protest by Azerbaijani families of missing persons was held on October 22 at the historic Place de l'Albertine, one of Brussels' well-known tourist destinations. The event was organized by the Karabakh Missing Families Public Association.

The demonstration continued a series of protests held on October 20 at Place du Luxembourg, outside the European Parliament, and on October 21 at Place Schuman, where the main institutions of the European Union are located.

As part of the protest, an installation featuring photographs, clothing and envelopes representing missing Azerbaijanis was displayed. The envelopes contained poignant messages written from the perspective of the missing persons, including: "I am not just a number. I have a name and a family" and "I am still someone's child. How long must my family wait?"

Through these letters, Azerbaijanis who have been missing for more than 30 years appeared to break their silence and address the world.

Visitors who viewed the installation expressed their solidarity with the families by writing messages of support, tying memorial ribbons and laying flowers.

Visitors were informed that 4,010 Azerbaijanis went missing during Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani territories. Among them were 71 children, 288 women and 319 elderly people.

Konul Behbudova, chair of the Karabakh Missing Families Public Association and sister of Abbas Behbudov, who went missing and was later declared a martyr, described Armenia's silence regarding missing Azerbaijanis as unacceptable. She called for information about the fate of the missing to be provided to the Azerbaijani side.

Relatives of missing persons also shared the pain, uncertainty and suffering their families have endured for decades. Among them were Farida Jabbarova, wife of Azad Jabbarov; Reyhan Janiyeva, wife of Sakhavat Janiyev; Sevinj Hajiyeva, daughter of Ahmad Mammadov; Mahuru Shahin, mother of Shahin Aliyev; Nazana Aliyeva, wife of Abulfat Aliyev; and Parvana Mammadova, wife of Oktay Mammadov.

The families' central appeal to the international community remains unchanged: "We do not simply want to remember our loved ones; we want to know the truth about their fate. No family should have to wait forever!"

As they also stated during a meeting in Brussels on October 21, 2026, with Okke Bouwman, political adviser to the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, and Marco Cardinali, coordinator for relations with Azerbaijan at the European External Action Service (EEAS), the families said they would continue their international protests until the fate of their loved ones is clarified.

The Karabakh Missing Families Public Association is a winner of the 2026 grant competition organized by the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations of Azerbaijan with its project titled "The Echo of Absence."