Armenia’s military aggression left nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis missing

Nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis went missing as a result of Armenia’s military aggression, according to the "Assessment Report on the Search for Missing Persons in the Republic of Azerbaijan" presented by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).

The report states that 3,209 of the missing individuals were military personnel, while 774 were civilians. Among them, 3,698 were men and 285 were women. The vast majority—3,977 people—went missing during the First Garabagh War, while six cases were recorded during the Patriotic War.

The search efforts have also led to the exhumation of the remains of 192 martyrs of the First Garabagh War, buried without identification in 23 cemeteries across various cities and regions of Azerbaijan. As of March 1, 2025, 165 bodies have been identified and handed over to their families.

Armenia, however, refuses to cooperate with Azerbaijan in clarifying the fate of missing persons and providing information about mass graves, obstructing the process under various pretexts. The report highlights Armenia’s violations of international law during the conflict, including the unlawful detention, inhuman treatment, and execution of Azerbaijani civilians. It was further emphasized that many victims were buried in mass graves without observing burial customs, with graves deliberately hidden and destroyed. Given the extent of these war crimes, the discovery of additional mass graves is anticipated in the future.

The issue remains a key humanitarian priority for Azerbaijan. The problem of missing persons is under the direct control of President Ilham Aliyev, whose instructions have accelerated the search process and intensified efforts to address this longstanding tragedy.