(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Fatima Latifova
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Despite the end of the long-standing Armenian Occupation in the
South Caucasus through the determination of the Azerbaijani army in
2020 and 2023, traces of Armenian vandalism still persist in the
region. The most horrifying of these traces is the unknown fate of
thousands of missing Azerbaijanis. Since the 1990s, the ethnic
cleansing policy against the Azerbaijani people has resulted in the
displacement of 1 million people from their homes and the
disappearance of 4,000 individuals. The total number of
Azerbaijanis brutally killed in massacres like Khojaly and Meshali,
as well as on the battlefield, reached 16,000.
Today, a two-day international conference titled "Solving the
Problem of Missing Persons: Supporting Families' Right to Know the
Truth" was commenced in Baku, jointly organised by the State
Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons and
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
In his address to the conference participants, Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the Armenian atrocities that
came to light after the liberation of Garabagh. He stated that
exhumation work at the mass graves discovered after the liberation
of Garabagh revealed the violence and inhumane torture inflicted by
Armenians on Azerbaijani prisoners. The fact that Azerbaijanis were
held hostage and tortured to death in the Shusha prison was also
emphasised in the president's speech.
The Horrors Awaiting Prisoners in Shusha
Prison
Shusha Prison is remembered as a symbol of the severe torture
and atrocities inflicted on Azerbaijani prisoners and civilians by
Armenian forces during the period of Armenia's occupation of the
city of Shusha from 1992-1993. Due to its strategic significance,
Shusha was of particular interest to Armenia. During this time,
widespread violations of human rights were carried out against
Azerbaijani prisoners and civilians in Shusha Prison.
Former prisoners were subjected
to severe physical and psychological torture, kept in conditions of
extreme hunger and thirst, and subjected to violence. The
conditions in the prison were so dire that they insulted human
dignity, with prisoners being treated inhumanely. Armenian forces
held prisoners under both physical and psychological pressure,
trying to coerce them into making forced confessions or
collaborating against the Azerbaijani government.
These events are a traumatic memory for the Azerbaijani people
and have turned the prison into a symbol of human rights violations
during the war. After Shusha's liberation in 2020, a thorough
investigation and documentation of these incidents became one of
the critical steps. As a result of these investigations, many mass
graves were discovered around the prison. Last year, Zaur
Ismayilov, an employee of the working group of the State Commission
on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, reported that
the fate of over 140 individuals held in Shusha Prison remains
unknown. In total, 360 prisoners and hostages were held in Shusha
Prison. These facts reflect Armenia's disregard for both the laws
of war and human rights.
The mass graves discovered in Azerbaijan's liberated areas, such
as Khojaly, Kalbajar, Khojavand, and Aghdam, are enough to show the
scale of Armenian vandalism and inhumane practices. According to
the Criminalistics Department of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor
General's Office, at least 172 bodies have been discovered in these
mass graves as of April this year.
The identities of these bodies are still being investigated, and
many have been revealed.
The Tragedy of Natig Gasimov
Among the missing Azerbaijanis, one of the most heroic figures
is Azerbaijan's national hero Natig Gasimov. In addition to
actively participating in the battles for Khojaly, he sacrificed
his life to save 21 Khojaly residents.
Vitali Balasanyan, one of the leaders of the Garabagh
separatists, who was among those who captured him, has so far
refused to provide any information about Natig's fate. Former
soldiers who served under his command have admitted in various
media outlets that Natig was "punished" with a brutal death.
Natig's relatives, along with those of other Azerbaijani
soldiers and civilians whose fate remains unknown, continue to wait
for their return. Some simply wish for a proper grave for their
loved ones.
Azerbaijan, as a responsible member of the international
community, views the issue of missing persons during armed
conflicts not only as part of its problem but also as a global
issue faced by many countries. As President Ilham Aliyev stated,
Azerbaijan introduces a resolution on the issue of missing persons
at the UN General Assembly every two years, which is adopted by
consensus.
Undoubtedly, these efforts will continue until justice is
served. The Azerbaijani government will persist in its efforts to
determine the fate of nearly 4,000 missing persons, including Natig
Gasimov.
Currently, part of the ongoing peace negotiations between
Azerbaijan and Armenia includes the demand for precise information
about the fate of missing persons to be handed over to Baku.
However, Armenia, as with other conditions, is incapable of meeting
this demand. The country's leadership, marked by indiscipline and
vandalism, shows inhumane treatment not only to prisoners but also
to its own soldiers. Photographs of Armenian soldiers left to die
in shackles by their commanders, discovered by Azerbaijani
servicemen during the Second Garabagh War, serve as evidence of
this.
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