UN hosts first-ever meeting with families of Azerbaijan’s missing persons
Baku, August 28, AZERTAC
On August 28, representatives of the Karabakh Missing Families Public Union met with the Secretariat of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva.
Families of missing persons awaiting response from the UN, International Committee of the Red Cross
During the meeting, Konul Behbudova, Chairperson of the Karabakh Missing Families Public Union, noted that as a result of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan 3,990 Azerbaijani citizens went missing, 6 of whom went missing during the 44-day war in 2020. Among them were 71 children, 284 women, and 316 elderly people. Noting that the Karabakh Missing Families Public Union brings together the families of the missing in Azerbaijan, Behbudova emphasized the importance of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross stepping up their efforts to clarify the fate of the missing Azerbaijanis. She also called on them to urge Armenia to provide information about the missing Azerbaijani citizens.
"Armenia has not provided any information about this for over three decades. In August 2023, we addressed an appeal to the UN Secretary-General, the President of the UN General Assembly, the President of the UN Human Rights Council, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and once again asked that Armenia be urged to disclose information regarding the fate of the missing persons and provide Azerbaijan with the locations of mass graves. We have not received a response yet. In accordance with the requirements of international humanitarian law and its main source, the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, the right of families to receive information about missing persons during armed conflicts is unequivocally recognized. We want our rights to be treated with respect,” the Chairperson underlined.
In her remarks, Konul Behbudova also stated that her attendance at the meeting was particularly difficult, as her father had passed away the previous day. "My father passed away tormented by the loss of his son, Abbas Behbudov, who went missing in Zangilan in 1992. Leaving my father's funeral unfinished, I came here to ensure his final wish—so that you would help us determine the fate of my brother. This was my father's greatest wish, and like thousands of other families who have waited for years, he was still waiting for any news about him," Behbudova added.
Armenia does not hold the war criminals accountable
During the meeting, Elmira Dadashov, mother of missing Ilham Dadashov; Mahuru Shahin, mother of missing Shahin Aliyev; Farida Jabbarova, spouse of missing Azad Jabbarov; Reyhan Janiyeva, spouse of missing Sakhavat Janiyev; Parvana Mammadova, spouse of missing Ogtay Mammadov; and other representatives of the “Karabakh Missing Families” Public Union regretfully noted that not a single person, committing war crimes against Azerbaijan, had been brought to justice in Armenia. On the contrary, those persons were falsely presented as heroes at different times.
28 mass gravesites in 5 years
The family members of the missing persons pointed out that the discovery of a total of 28 mass gravesites in the liberated territories over five years since 2020 is horrifying. The mass killing of people, their inhumane burial, and the disappearance of their remains is a disrespect for all human values and barbarism. It was mentioned that some cases saw the persons missing together with their family members and loved ones, leading to extinction of the whole families and generations. During the First Karabakh War, 2 to 7 members of the 61 families went missing, with their fate remaining unknown. The “Karabakh Missing Families” Public Union demands from Armenia to hand over the maps of mass graves to Azerbaijan.
Damaged trust
During the meeting at the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, families of the missing persons noted that their trust in the International Committee of the Red Cross to update them about their loved ones had been severely weakened.
UN must establish institution of special rapporteurs on missing persons
During the meeting, the representatives of the “Karabakh Missing Families” Public Union underscored that the issue of the missing persons is of global significance, urging the UN to establish the institution of special rapporteurs on missing persons.
The members of the Secretariat of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, CED of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR - Gabriela Guzman, Albane Prophette-Pallasco - took due notice of the discussions.
This is the first time the request of the “Karabakh Missing Families” Public Union is addressed at the UN level.
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