Hikmat Hajiyev: 4,009 Azerbaijanis remain missing

The issue of missing persons remains one of the most painful humanitarian consequences of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said on X,  Olaylar informs.

Hajiyev said that more than three decades after the First Karabakh War, 4,009 Azerbaijani citizens remain registered as missing.

According to him, thousands of families continue to live with uncertainty and are deprived of the fundamental right to know the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.

"As a result of ongoing search, recovery and identification efforts, 889 sets of human remains have been exhumed, 313 missing persons have been identified through DNA and forensic analysis, and 226 have been returned to their families for dignified burial," Hajiyev said.

He noted that the discovery of 32 mass graves in Azerbaijanchr("39")s liberated territories provides further evidence of the scale of the humanitarian tragedy and highlights the urgent need for continued cooperation in clarifying the fate of the missing.

"Addressing the issue of missing persons is not only a humanitarian obligation. It is a matter of justice, human dignity, reconciliation and lasting peace," Hajiyev said.

"Every identified person brings a family closer to answers. Every recovered remain helps restore truth and preserve memory," he added.